NASHVILLE, TN (CelebrityAccess) — Acclaimed bluegrass and country music songwriter-artist and Grand Ole Opry member Ricky Skaggs has been announced as the recipient of this year's ASCAP Founders Award.
The award is intended to be ASCAP's highest honor and is presented to songwriters and composers who have had a significant and lasting impact on their fellow music creators. Previous recipients include George Strait, Alan Jackson, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Garth Brooks, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Melissa Etheridge and Neil Young.
Ricky Skaggs is a renowned pioneer of bluegrass and country music, having earned 12 #1 singles, 14 Grammy Awards, 11 IBMA Awards, nine ACM Awards, eight CMA Awards (including Entertainer of the Year), two Dove Awards, three honorary Doctorate degrees, a GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame induction, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s 2013 Artist-In-Residence, and an Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award, along with numerous other accolades.
Since he began playing music more than 50 years ago, Skaggs has released more than 30 albums and has performed thousands of live shows. He started his own record label, Skaggs Family Records, in 1997 and has since released 12 consecutive Grammy-nominated albums.
The award will be presented at an invite-only gala at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on October 31st as a part of the 54th annual ASCAP Country Music Awards. The evening is expected to feature live performances of the top five most performed songs by the award-winning songwriters and/or the artists who recorded them. – Staff Writers
