Last week, City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases, hosted its Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Group’s 15th annual Songs of Hope at Alex da Kid’s KIDinaKORNER Kampus.
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This year’s event brought together more than 300 music industry celebrities and professionals to honor their peers, bringing in upward of $400,000, a record-breaking year! In total, Songs of Hope has raised over $4.5 million for City of Hope.
Legendary producer and songwriter Jimmy Jam emceed the ceremony, which honored some of the brightest names in music. Entertainment icon Snoop Dogg received the Sony ATV Music Publishing “Social Leadership” Award, which was presented by Sony ATV chairman and CEO, and 2018 Spirit of Life honoree, Jon Platt. Producer Boi-1da and songwriter Diane Warren received the Clive Davis “Legend in Songwriting” Award presented by Clive Davis, composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman received the EA Music “Composer of the Year” Award presented by EA’s worldwide executive and president of music, and event co-chair, Steve Schnur, and songwriter and recording artist Tierra Whack received the Universal Music Publishing Group “She Is The Music” Award presented by Universal Music Publishing’s chairman and CEO Jody Gerson. Facebook’s head of Music Publishing Business Development, Zenia Grenier, presented the “Facebook Songwriter Impact” Award to Hayley Kiyoko. The-Dream received the Warner Chappell Music “Beacon of Excellence” Award, presented by their president, A&R, U.S. Press Ryan Press, and Dr. Linda Malkas, Ph.D., received the Beverly and Ben Horowitz Songs of Hope Legacy Award presented by Zach Horowitz and Jody Horowitz-Marsh.
Co-chairs of the event included Schnur, Doug Davis (The Davis Firm), Evan Lamberg (president, North America / Universal Music Publishing Group) and David Renzer.
It was an evening filled with moving tributes and acceptance speeches as each of the night’s honorees took to the stage. Shaiman treated guests to a musical interlude, performing a playful original tune as well as the moving “Where The Lost Things Go,” for which he was nominated for an Academy Award this year. The crowd was especially touched by Malkas’ speech. She described the incredible experience she had with a patient and her family, which ultimately inspired her to pursue her current research project. Snoop Dogg, who rarely speaks publicly about his incredibly successful philanthropy endeavors, spoke passionately about his eagerness to be associated with an organization and event that is fighting cancer because he has lost many family members to the disease. Snoop Dogg said he loves using his platform to bring people together and lead them in a positive direction. He closed with a powerful statement, stressing that he doesn’t do this work for attention, “I do it because it’s needed.”
This year’s event was put on with support from stage sponsor ASCAP, food and beverage sponsors BMI, SESAC and SNAP, valet sponsors peermusic and Tresóna Multimedia, and additional support from the Gibson Foundation.
A portion of funds raised at the 15th annual Songs of Hope will support the work of Beverly and Ben Horowitz Songs of Hope Legacy Award recipient Linda Malkas, Ph.D., the M.T. & B.A. Ahmadinia Professor in Molecular Oncology. Former Beverly and Ben Horowitz Songs of Hope Legacy Award recipients have been Saul Priceman, Ph.D., and Stephen J. Forman, M.D., the Francis & Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.
