The Songwriters Hall of Fame has named Tim Rice the 2023 recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award, which will be presented June 15 at the 52nd Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner at New York's Marriott Marquis Hotel.
The award, the highest honor bestowed by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, is given to a songwriter (or songwriting team) who has already been inducted and whose work upholds the standard set by the late Mercer. Three-time Tony winner Rice was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1999.
SHOF Chairman Nile Rodgers says, “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!”
Rice added, “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 25 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.”
Previously announced 2023 inductees include Sade Adu p/k/a Sade, Glen Ballard, Calvin Broadus Jr. p/k/a Snoop Dogg, Gloria Estefan, Jeff Lynne, Teddy Riley, and Liz Rose.
EGOT winner Rice collaborated with Lloyd Webber on The Likes of Us, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita. He has also created musicals with Elton John (The Lion King, Aida), Alan Menken (Aladdin, King David, Beauty and the Beast), Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (Chess), and Stuart Brayson (From Here to Eternity). He also collaborated on songs with Freddie Mercury, Burt Bacharach, and Rick Wakeman, among others.
Rice won Tonys for Best Original Score (Evita and Aida) and Best Book of a Musical (Evita).
For more information visit SongHall.org.
Company Members from The Lion King and Tim Rice
Rob Minkoff, Bonita Hamilton, Roger Allers, and Genaro Pereira
Beth Fowler and Tim Rice
Max Klimavicius and Tim Rice
Tim Rice
Tim Rice with his Sardi's Portrait
Tim Rice's Sardi's Portrait
Thomas Schumacher, Tim Rice, Robert Wankel, and Max Klimavicius
