The 56th annual ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards, established to honor the best in music writing and criticism, celebrated authors, journalists, and filmmakers who are helping fans see their favorite sounds from a new angle.
The honors, first founded in 1967 to commemorate composer-critic Deems Taylor and later expanded with support from the Virgil Thomson Foundation, recognize outstanding books, liner notes, articles, and broadcast programs that explore music’s cultural impact. This year’s winners span every corner of the sonic map—from Bob Dylan and The Band to Sabrina Carpenter, Alice Coltrane, and Lead Belly.
One of the year’s most compelling honors went to director Alex Stapleton, writer Stephen Witt, and producer Philip Byron for the documentary How Music Got Free—a sharp look at how file-sharing and piracy changed music forever. Premiering at SXSW and produced by a jaw-dropping lineup including Eminem, LeBron James, and Paul Rosenberg, the film unpacks how early-2000s technology turned the industry upside down.
“It tells the story of how technology-driven disruption changed music in the late ‘90s and early 2000s,” notes the Foundation.
On the concert-music side, producer David Osenberg was recognized for Sounds Choral, a weekly program from WWFM: The Classical Network. Airing Sundays at 2 p.m. ET, the show dives deep into the choral art form, guided by rotating hosts that include some of the most respected conductors and scholars in the field. It’s basically NPR for harmony lovers.
The ASCAP Foundation’s Paul Williams “Loved the Liner Notes” Award went to Lauren Du Graf for her work on Alice Coltrane: The Artist in Ascension—an elegant deep dive into the jazz visionary’s Carnegie Hall Concert recording.
Special recognitions went to:
- Elizabeth Nelson, for her essay on Bob Dylan & The Band’s 1974 tour.
- Shana L. Redmond, for her study of Paul Robeson’s recordings in Voice of Freedom.
Among the book honorees, Joe Boyd took home recognition for And the Roots of Rhythm Remain, a sweeping chronicle of the world’s influence on jazz, blues, and rock ’n’ roll. Brian Wright’s The Bastard Instrument: A Cultural History of the Electric Bass plugged into how one low-end instrument redefined popular music.
A special nod went to Sheila Curran Bernard for Bring Judgment Day: Reclaiming Lead Belly’s Truths from Jim Crow’s Lies, a historical reclamation that pulls no punches in unpacking the racism surrounding one of America’s greatest folk voices.
Music criticism had its moment too.
- Dan Charnas (yes, of Dilla Time fame) earned the Virgil Thomson Award for his Slate article dissecting Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” calling it “the musical history lesson buried beneath the song of the summer.”
- Robert Michael Marovich explored the Nashville legacy of songwriter Ted Jarrett in Zócalo Public Square.
- Jonathan Kregor shone light on composer Clara Wieck’s overlooked genius in Women’s Agency in Schubert’s Vienna.
In an age of playlists and short attention spans, the ASCAP Foundation’s Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards remind us that great music writing still matters. These are the thinkers giving context to the chaos, showing us why a gospel pioneer, a jazz mystic, or even a viral pop hit still carries emotional and cultural weight.
For more information, visit ascapfoundation.org/taylorthomsonawards.
The post All the Highlights from the 2025 ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.
-----------------------------------
By: Music Connection
Title: All the Highlights from the 2025 ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards
Sourced From: www.musicconnection.com/all-the-highlights-from-the-2025-ascap-foundation-deems-taylor-virgil-thomson-awards/
Published Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2025 19:09:29 +0000
