NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — The Songwriters Hall of Fame revealed that Tim Rice will be the 2023 recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award.
The Johnny Mercer Award is reserved for a songwriter or songwriting who was previously inducted into the SHOF, and whose body of work approaches the high bar set by the legendary songwriter and Hall of Famer, Johnny Mercer.
Rice, who was inducted in 1999 is one of just 18 entertainers who have achieved the famed ‘EGOT’ status, having won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony Award. To wit, Rice has earned an Emmy, five Grammy awards, three Tony Awards and three Oscars over the course of his career. His resume, which begins in 1956, includes collaborations with noted creators such as Andrew Lloyd Webber on The Likes Of Us, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita.
His repertoire also includes collaborations with composers such Elton John (The Lion King, Aida), Alan Menken (Aladdin, King David, Beauty and the Beast), Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (Chess), and Stuart Brayson (From Here To Eternity). He has also written with Freddie Mercury, Burt Bacharach, and Rick Wakeman, among many others.
Recent works include the musical From Here To Eternity, which returned to London late last year and Chess, which is set for a Broadway debut in the fall of 2023.
“Tim Rice is an artisan. He has crafted some of the greatest lyrics and stories in musical history with “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and his incredible work with Andrew Lloyd Webber being amongst my favorites. In the ’70s, we used to say, ‘What’s The Buzz’ because of him. More than 50 years later, the buzz is still Tim Rice!” said SHOF Chairman Nile Rodgers.
“I am truly honored to be chosen to receive the Johnny Mercer Award. My induction into the SHOF was itself a highlight of my writing career and I never expected to receive any further recognition from the most distinguished gathering of songwriters in the world. So, I am bowled over (a cricketing metaphor) with gratitude. I have attended quite a few SHOF events in the past twenty-five years and they have always been among the most enjoyable of entertainment world extravaganzas – unpretentious, unpredictable, and spectacular. So, June 15, 2023, is a golden booking in my electronic diary,” added Tim Rice.
Rice will be presented with the 2023 Johnny Mercer Award during the 52nd Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner, which is scheduled to take place on June 15th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
