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Once, Composed by Warner/Chappell Songwriters The Swell Season, Leads Tony Awards with 11 Nominations, Including Best Musical

May 1, 2012

Warner/Chappell Songwriters’ Musicals Receive Total of 48 Nominations, Including All Four Best Musical Nominations, and Ten each for The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Nice Work If You Can Get It

Musicals composed by songwriters from Warner/Chappell Music, Warner Music Group’s global music publishing company, today were honored with 48 nominations for the 66th Annual Tony Awards, including all four Best Musical Nominations, as well as 11 total for the critically-acclaimed, stage musical adaptation Once, composed by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová of The Swell Season, the most for any show this year. Following closely behind with ten nominations each were The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Nice Work If You Can Get It, both composed by Warner/Chappell songwriters George and Ira Gershwin. Other Warner/Chappell songwriters whose shows were nominated include Alan Menken—whose musicals Newsies (eight nominations) and Leap of Faith (one nomination) were both nominated for Best Musical—and Stephen Sondheim, whose musical Follies received eight nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical.

“Warner/Chappell carries a proud tradition of publishing some of the most renowned classic and contemporary songwriters in musical theatre—from Cole Porter and Jule Styne, to Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty and The Swell Season,” said Cameron Strang, Chairman & CEO, Warner/Chappell Music. “The Tony Awards are the highest honor in this genre, and for our team of staff and songwriters to have contributed to 48 nominations is incredible. We wish all of our writers the best of luck on the night.”

The following is a full list of nominations for Warner/Chappell songwriters’ shows:

  • Once (Composed by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová): Best Musical; Best Book of a Musical; Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical; Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical; Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical; Best Direction of a Musical; Best Choreography; Best Orchestrations; Best Scenic Design of a Musical; Best Lighting Design of a Musical; and Best Sound Design of a Musical.
  • Nice Work If You Can Get It (Composed by George & Ira Gershwin): Best Musical; Best Book of a Musical; Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical; Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical; Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical; Best Direction of a Musical; Best Choreography; Best Orchestrations; Best Costume Design of a Musical; and Best Sound Design of a Musical.
  • The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (Co-Composed by George & Ira  Gershwin and DuBose & Dorothy Heyward): Best Revival of a Musical; Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical; Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical; Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical; Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical; Best Direction of a Musical; Best Orchestrations; Best Costume Design of a Musical; Best Lighting Design of a Musical; and Best Sound Design of a Musical.
  • Follies (Composed by Stephen Sondheim): Best Revival of a Musical; Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical; Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical; Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical; Best Costume Design of a Musical; Best Lighting Design of a Musical; and Best Sound Design of a Musical.
  • Newsies (Composed by Alan Menken): Best Musical; Best Book of a Musical; Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre; Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical; Best Direction of a Musical; Best Choreography; Best Orchestrations; and Best Scenic Design of a Musical.
  • Leap of Faith (Composed by Alan Menken): Best Musical.

At last year’s Tony Awards, The Book of Mormon, co-written by Warner/Chappell songwriter Bobby Lopez, won nine awards, including Best Musical and Best Score.  Additional Tony Awards were given to Anything Goes—written by Warner/Chappell legend, Cole Porter—as well as Catch Me If You Can—written by Warner/Chappell songwriters March Shaiman and Scott Wittman—and Priscilla Queen of the Desert—which features several licensed W/C songs.

In the past couple of weeks, Warner/Chappell and its songwriters have been recognized with some of the industry’s most prestigious awards, including tying for the title of ASCAP’s 2012 Pop Music Publisher of the Year and picking up 19 “Most Performed Song of the Year” awards as well as “Song of the Year” for “Just the Way You Are,” written by Bruno Mars and Khalil “Cassius D. Kalb” Walton. Warner/Chappell songwriters also took home 13 titles at Billboard’s Latin Music Awards, with rock band Maná claiming five awards and Prince Royce winning eight.

About Warner/Chappell Music:
Warner/Chappell Music is WMG’s award-winning global music publishing company. The Warner/Chappell Music catalog includes standards such as “Happy Birthday To You,” “Rhapsody in Blue,” “Winter Wonderland,” the songs of Cole Porter and George and Ira Gershwin, as well as the music of Eric Clapton, Green Day, Katy Perry, Led Zeppelin, Lil Wayne, Madonna, Nickelback, Paramore, Red Hot Chili Peppers, T.I., Timbaland, and others. Warner/Chappell Music is a leader in creating innovative strategies for marketing and promoting its songwriters and their music. The company’s extensive catalog makes it a natural first stop for A&R executives and record producers, feature film and television production companies, advertising agencies and brands, video game and new media companies, and others looking to record or license some of the world’s greatest music.

Source: Warner Music Group