The 2022 ASCAP London Music Awards were held on Monday, October 18, and saw three victories by Neave Applebaum and Lewis Thompson, including the prized songwriter of the year award.
The songs “Head And Heart” (through Asylum/Perfect Havoc), featuring MNEK, which topped the Official U.K. Singles Chart for six weeks in 2020, and “Bed,” featuring Raye and David Guetta, which peaked at No. 3 in 2021, were co-written by Applebaum and Thompson, who received recognition for their work.
Along with co-writers MNEK, Robert Harvey, Leo Kalyan, and Lewis Thompson, the pair also won hot dance/electronic song honors for “Head And Heart” and “Bed.”
Additionally that evening, drill rapper CJ’s No. 3 U.K. smash “Whoopty,” which extensively sampled Mithoon’s “Sanam Re,” won song of the year and top streaming song for the Indian film composer Mithoon.
One of 11 categories honoring ASCAP’s finest composers in the cinema and television industries recognized Joby Talbot’s score for Sing 2 as the top box office film of the year.
Other winners included composer Jonny Greenwood, a founding member of Radiohead, for his work on the film Spencer, and Christopher Benstead for Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man.
Lewis Capaldi, a Scottish artist, continued his winning streak by collaborating with Corey Sanders on the Sigala and James Arthur song “Lasting Lover” to earn a hot dance/electronic award.
Other winners of the Hot Dance/Electronic Song Award include Teemu Brunila for “Don’t Be Shy,” which Tisto and Karol G recorded, David Morales and Handel Tucker for “In Da Getto,” J Balvin and Skrillex, Dan Caplen and Gez O’Connell for “Paradise,” by Medusa featuring Dermot Kennedy, Ross Campbell for “Friday,” by Riton and Nightcrawlers featuring Mufasa and Hypeman; and Frederik “SIBA” Castenschiold Eichen and Sakima for “You”, by Regard, Troye Sivan and Tate McRae.
James “Yami” Bell won the top hot dance/electronic song award for Tisto’s song “The Business.”
The ASCAP online awards ceremony recognized British authors and publishers who are members of the Performing Right Society and whose works are among those most frequently performed in the US in 2021. The winners will be announced on the @ASCAP Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and @ASCAPLondon Instagram on Tuesday, October 18, and Wednesday, October 19, using the hashtag #ASCAPAwards, according to the organizers. As part of the virtual event, ASCAP will offer unique images and videos from the winners.
