The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers held its pop music awards last week, honoring Grammy Award-winning musicians Laufey, Amy Allen and EJAE, along with several other musicians at a ceremony in Los Angeles.
Laufey was presented with the Creative Voice Award by fellow singer-songwriter Suki Waterhouse. The award recognizes society members whose “significant career achievements are informed by their creative spirit and their contributions to the role that a creator can play in the community,” according to a release, and has been given to other musicians like Questlove, Wyclef Jean and Lyle Lovett.
“This is such an amazing community of writers, artists, producers, it’s composers. It’s really to be honored for music that I’ve created,” the singer told The Hollywood Reporter before the ceremony.
“It’s something that I wish I could go back and tell my younger self because I never thought I’d be able to take all my thoughts and musical inspirations together and create a cohesive product,” she continued. “I wasn’t one of those kids that was at 10, writing songs on the piano. I was very reserved and didn’t think that I had anything to say. This [award] kind of feels like I had something to say and people agreed.”
The singer also touched upon her latest music video, “Manwoman,” which went viral ahead of its release for its all-star cast of Hudson Williams, Lola Tuna, Alysa Liu and Megan Skiendiel. “I just didn’t grow up seeing many people who look like me on stages or in media,” she explained.
Laufey noted that Williams, Tung, Liu and Skiendiel are all “such huge stars in their own right,” and that fact shows that things are changing in terms of Asian representation in media and culture. “We’re taking baby steps,” she added.
“To be able to make the video that I would’ve wanted to see when I was a kid… I think it would’ve empowered me a lot to see a video full of artists across different mediums who are killing it all together,” the singer said. She emphasized that there were so many moments throughout the video that she was able to pay homage to her Chinese background through.
“It just really fed my heart to be able to honor my culture like that, but still having it be fun,” she added. “Ultimately, it was just a really fun day.”
Allen was awarded the pop songwriter of the year honor for her work with some of the industry’s biggest stars. The 34-year-old is the go-to producer for the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, and has collaborated with Rosé on her smash hit “Apt,” among other songs in her discography and artists, including Jennie, Dua Lipa, Tate McRae and Olivia Dean.
“To get to see face-to-face so many writers that inspire me every day to get better and to push outside of the box and learn is so exciting,” Allen said before the awards.
“I love ASCAP for putting this event together and making it such an environment where we can all get together and just chat about what inspires us and why we’re doing it,” she continued. “I think that’s at the crux of every great song is somebody that just has a love for telling a story.”
Songwriting, of course, was a hot topic for all the night’s attendees. “The songwriting process is this very unseen chapter in making a record and what we all do,” Waterhouse told THR. “I’m very much a fragile animal sitting there being like, ‘I have no idea where this record is going.’ It’s such a fun, rapid place.”
For EJAE, fresh off a groundbreaking awards season with KPop Demon Hunters, songwriting is where things all began. The 34-year-old, who was honored for the breakout song that she wrote for the film “Golden,” began her career as a K-pop idol trainee before transitioning to songwriting full-time for K-pop artists.
“I love talking to songwriters. I love to know what their process is, what interface they use, what program they use,” EJAE said. The singer-songwriter admits she finds events like ASCAP’s very comforting for her.
Despite her massive success with KPop Demon Hunters, EJAE’s priorities haven’t strayed far from what she had been working towards pre-breakout. “This is what means the most to me,” she explained when asked what it means to be honored for songwriting.
“I think when someone asked me what my dream [was in this] industry, it was always to win a Grammy as a songwriter,” she said. “I know the K-pop song Grammy is absolutely an honor as well, but songwriting is my biggest priority.”
While EJAE has made a name writing some of the biggest songs in the K-pop sphere, she told THR she’s taking the time to find her own sound as an artist. “I’m focusing on writing an album, but absolutely will always default to writing for other people as well or for film or anything,” she said. “Songwriting is so flexible.”
ASCAP also honored Jack Antonoff, Cirkut, Justin Bieber, Max Martin, Myles Smith, Ashley Gorley, Audrey Hobert, Daniel Nigro, David Guetta, Dijon “Mustard” McFarlane and Timbaland for hit songs they made throughout last year. The full list of winners can be found on the organization’s website.