LIL BABY NAMED ASCAP SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

ASCAP unveiled the winners of its 2021 Rhythm & Soul Awards Tuesday. Lil Baby was named Songwriter of the Year. He will perform his "The Bigger Picture" at 1pm PT on ASCAP's YouTube channel. UMPG was named Publisher of the Year.

Other winners include writers Anderson “Vinylz” Hernandez, Che Ecru, Joshua “J-Louis” Huizar, Matthew “Boi-1da” Samuels and Noah “40” Shebib for their work on Chris Brown & Drake’s “No Guidance,” which earned Top Hip-Hop/R&B Song. Timabland, Swizz Beatz and D-Nice were honored with Voice of the Culture awards; watch their Voices of the Culture conversation here.

See the full list of winners here.

“I’ve been an ASCAP member for decades. During the beginning of the pandemic… it was about playing music to save lives, and to keep music around, to keep people dancing together. This [award] represents that this mission has been accomplished.” - D-Nice

“It was a trying year, but I think D-Nice, Swizz, and I … showed our community that we are very strong together, not apart.” - Timbaland

“We gave people a safe haven to run to. Whether it was running away from the news we’ve seen every day, or whether it was running back in the house after countless hours of protest outside.” - Swizz Beatz

Pictured below, clockwise from top left: ASCAP SVP of Membership Nicole George-Middleton, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and D-Nice with their ASCAP "Voice of the Culture" Awards