For a PDF version of this press release, please click here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Meredith Hritz

Jacobson Strategic Communications

513-604-6850/ meredithhritz@jacobsonstrategic.com

2017 MARIAN ANDERSON AWARD GOES TO DIONNE WARWICK

November Gala and Concert to Honor One of Top Female Vocalists of All Time

PHILADELPHIA, PA (AUGUST 10, 2017) – Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced today that five-time Grammy winner Dionne Warwick will receive the 2017 Marian Anderson Award on November 14, 2017, during the eagerly anticipated Gala and Concert at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. An internationally renowned pop music icon, Ms. Warwick’s career has spanned over 50 years. The Marian Anderson Award was created to celebrate critically acclaimed artists who have used their talents for personal artistic expression and/or whose body of work has contributed to our society in a positive and singular manner.

 “We are pleased to honor Dionne Warwick with the 2017 Marian Anderson Award,” Mayor Kenney said. “She is a perfect example of an artist whose incredible talent and extensive accomplishments closely align with the achievements of Marian Anderson herself.”

Ms. Warwick first displayed her talent as a child singing in her church in East Orange, NJ. In 1961, she was discovered by songwriting team Burt Bacharach and Hal David and has been astonishing crowds ever since with her masterful blend of pop, gospel and R&B music styles. To date, she has had 18 consecutive top 100 singles, 60 charted hit songs, and 20 best-selling albums. Ms. Warwick became the first African-American solo artist of her generation to win the highly-esteemed Best Contemporary Female Vocalist Performance award, and her recorded performances have been honored with five Grammy Awards. Having more than 100 million records sold, Ms. Warwick is a cornerstone of the American music industry.

 Over the years, Ms. Warwick has made it her mission to support many philanthropic campaigns, including the battle against AIDS and world hunger, disaster relief efforts and children’s hospitals, and countless other causes. Perhaps most notably, Ms. Warwick has been recognized as a champion of music education for which she has raised millions of dollars. To show appreciation for her dedication to education, The Dionne Warwick Institute in New Jersey was named in her honor. Other charitable interests include serving as an Ambassador for the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), hosting an annual benefit concert for World Hunger Day in London, and participating in the all-star charity single, “We Are the World.”

 “I have received many awards during my 55 years in this entertainment industry and treasure each of them, however, I have to say, to have been considered worthy enough to receive the Marian Anderson Award, has left me speechless!” said Dionne Warwick, “I am honored, flattered, and overwhelmed with absolute joy, and cannot thank those who felt that it was I to be the one to receive this very distinguished award enough, and will try to live up to all that gave thought to my receiving this enormous honor. And a special thank you to my good friend, Jerry Blavat.”

Nina Tinari, Chairwoman of The Marian Anderson Award spoke of the Board’s decision to pay tribute to Ms.Warwick.  “Dionne Warwick is a magnificent choice for this year’s Award.  Ms. Warwick’s profound success in the music industry, combined with her determination to raise awareness for social injustices through her own public platform, makes her a noteworthy honoree. We are looking forward to another outstanding evening celebrating the importance of artists and the arts.”

Wells Fargo, PECO and COMCAST were also thanked for their important support as the Award’s lead sponsors.

The Marian Anderson Award is honored to be in its second year partnering with the world-renowned Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Kimmel Center Chief Executive Officer Anne Ewers said of Ms. Warwick, “She is the epitome of the Marian Anderson legacy. Her unmistakable voice is known around the world. She has used it to fight for so many causes, including music education, which is a key element of our mission.”

For information about attending the November 14 Award Gala Dinner, please call 215-893-1837.

For tickets to the Gala Concert, go to: https://www.kimmelculturalcampus.org/events-andtickets/

Visit www.marianandersonaward.org and https://www.kimmelculturalcampus.org for more information about the organizations.

###

For photography, please visit  www.kcpress.smugmug.com