City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases, announced today that entertainment icon Snoop Dogg will receive the Sony ATV Music Publishing “Social Leadership” Award at its Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Group’s 15th Annual Songs of Hope.
The award will be presented by Sony ATV chairman and CEO, and 2018 Spirit of Life honoree, Jon Platt. As previously announced, producer Boi-1da and songwriter Diane Warren will receive the Clive Davis “Legend in Songwriting” Award presented by Clive Davis, composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman will receive the EA Music “Composer of the Year” Award, and songwriter and recording artist Tierra Whack will receive the Universal Music Publishing Group “She Is The Music” Award presented by Universal Music Publishing’s chairman and CEO Jody Gerson. Facebook will present the “Facebook Songwriter Impact” Award to Hayley Kiyoko, The Dream will receive the Warner Chappell Music “Beacon of Excellence” Award and Linda Malkas, Ph.D., will receive the Songs of Hope Beverly and Ben Horowitz Legacy Award. This year’s celebration will take place on Thursday, Sept. 19, at Alex da Kid’s KIDinaKORNER Kampus in Sherman Oaks, California, and will include a Charitybuzz online auction and a silent auction. Legendary producer and songwriter Jimmy Jam will serve as emcee. More than 300 music industry celebrities and professionals are expected to attend this unique event, which has raised over $4.1 million for City of Hope to date.
This year’s event will be put on with support from stage sponsor ASCAP, food and beverage sponsors BMI and SESAC, valet sponsors peermusic and Tresóna Multimedia, and additional support from the Gibson Foundation.
An entertainment icon, Snoop Dogg has reigned for more than two decades as an unparalleled force who has raised the bar as an entertainer and globally recognized innovator. Snoop defines entertainment history. An award-winning entertainer, Snoop Dogg has released 19 studio albums, sold over 40 million albums worldwide, reached No. 1 countless times on Billboard charts internationally and received 20 GRAMMY nominations. Throughout his career, Snoop’s chart-topping hits include “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang,” “Gin & Juice,” “Beautiful,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “Deep Cover,” “Who Am I?,” “Young, Wild and Free,” “California Gurls,” “Next Episode,” “Signs,” “Sensual Seduction” and “I Wanna Rock.” Always known for breaking down barriers, Snoop Dogg released a highly praised and award-winning Gospel album, “Bible of Love” in 2018. Most recently, he released his latest studio album, “I Wanna Thank Me,” named after his infamous 2018 Hollywood Walk of Fame star acceptance speech.
Snoop Dogg’s commitment and passion for community work is commendable. In 2005, he established the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL) to provide children between the ages of 5 and 13 the opportunity to participate in youth football and cheer. Throughout the years, the SYFL program has coached thousands of kids, and many of the SYFL players have gone on to play football in college and in the National Football League. Since its inception, Snoop Dogg has personally coached a team of players during each SYFL football season. His SYFL was also the subject of a critically acclaimed Netflix series, “Coach Snoop.” In 2017, the SYFL added to The Snoop Special Stars Football and Cheer division serving all special needs children and young adults (5-18+) with physical and intellectual disabilities. The goal of the program is to break the negative stigma surrounding special needs and to provide support and positive resources within inner city communities and surrounding areas.
In addition to his extensive work in music, Snoop Dogg has made his mark in the television and film space. He currently has numerous partnership deals with major studios and networks, including Netflix, VH1 and more. His accolades include an Emmy Award nomination for his role as executive producer and co-host of VH1’s hit show, “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner,” executive producer of MTV’s “Mary + Jane,” executive producer and host of TNT’s game show, “Joker’s Wild” and executive producer of acclaimed Netflix’s show, “Coach Snoop.”
Snoop Dogg has also acted in numerous films, including “Dolemite” (Netflix – currently in production), “Beach Bum,” “Soul Plane,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “Pitch Perfect 2,” “Half Baked” and Oscar-winning drama “Training Day,” as well as in TV series, including “Empire,” “Trailer Park Boys,” and “Mary + Jane.” The artist’s voice has been featured in the animated films “Turbo,” “Arthur and the Invisibles” and “Hotel Transylvania” and in many TV shows, including “The Simpsons,” “King of the Hill,” “Futurama,” “The Boondocks” and “The Cleveland Show.” As a producer through his company Snoopadelic Films, Snoop Dogg has produced “Mac & Devin Go to High School,” “Boss’n Up,” “Hood of Horror” and “Reincarnated” (in conjunction with VICE Films).
Jon Platt is chairman and CEO of Sony ATV Music Publishing, the world’s leading music publishing company. Over the course of an extraordinary career — beginning as a teenaged DJ in Denver, climbing the ranks at EMI Music Publishing, leading Warner Chappell and now heading Sony/ATV — Platt has championed everyone from Jay-Z to Beyoncé, from Kanye West to Drake, from Usher to Rihanna, and from Brandy to Janet Jackson.
For more than two decades, he has demonstrated a gift for recognizing great songwriters early and for providing the environment for their creativity to flourish over long, successful careers. With his songwriter-first approach, he is an influential advocate for songwriters’ rights and an inspiring mentor for the next generation of executives.
He joined Sony ATV in April 2019 after six years at Warner Chappell where, as chairman and CEO, he attracted a wide range of new and established creative talent while building a dynamic senior management team around the world. Under his leadership, Warner Chappell was rebuilt and won many top industry awards, broke records and made impressive market share gains in territories around the world.
Platt has served as vice chairman of the board of directors for the MusiCares Foundation and sits on the boards of the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, the Motown Museum and the Living Legends Foundation. His family actively supports JDRF — where Platt’s wife, Angie, serves on the JDRF Los Angeles Chapter board of directors and the International board of directors. In 2005, he launched the Big Jon Platt Scholarship Program, annually awarding three high school students from his hometown with college scholarships.
He has appeared twice on the cover of Billboard magazine, was featured on the Ebony Power 100 list and was named BRE Magazine’s “Man of the Year.” In 2018, he was honored with the prestigious 2018 Spirit of Life Award at an annual fundraising gala hosted by City of Hope. Among his other accolades, he received the Visionary Award at the SESAC Pop Music Awards and in 2017, was presented with Morehouse College’s Candle Award in Music, Business and Entertainment — the same year that Usher and Tyler Perry were honored.
Additional information about the event and ticketing information can be found at CityofHope.org/songs.
A portion of funds raised at the 15th annual Songs of Hope will support the work of Beverly and Ben Horowitz Legacy Award recipients Saul Priceman, Ph.D., Stephen J. Forman, M.D., the Francis & Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, and Linda Malkas, Ph.D., the M.T. & B.A. Ahmadinia Professor in Molecular Oncology.
