Four months after he won a pair of Tony Awards for creating the hit musical Schmigadoon!, Cinco Paul is set to receive the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award. The award will be presented on Monday (Oct. 5) at Carnegie Hall in New York City at an all-star musical program: “A Celebration of Rodgers & Hart.”
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The ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award was established to honor ASCAP composers and lyricists who make a significant Broadway or off-Broadway debut. The award is funded by the Estate of Mary Rodgers and the Rodgers Family Foundation. Previous recipients include Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen) and David Hein and Irene Sankoff (Come From Away).
Paul co-created and was the showrunner for both seasons of Apple TV’s Schmigadoon!, writing all of the songs. He received a Primetime Emmy for writing the song “Corn Puddin’” and a Grammy nomination for best compilation soundtrack for visual media. He then wrote the book, music and lyrics for the stage adaptation which is currently running on Broadway at the Nederlander Theater. On June 7, the show won the Tony for best musical, while Paul won Tonys for best original score and best book of a musical.
Paul is among a small number of creators who served as the sole writer of the book, lyrics and musical score for a hit Broadway show, along with ASCAP members Miranda (Hamilton) and the late Jonathan Larson (Rent).
“Cinco Paul is a master storyteller and writer, and no one is more deserving of this award,” ASCAP Foundation president Paul Williams said in a statement. “The original work, craft and artistry that made Cinco successful in TV and film were destined to be a hit on Broadway. We are honored to support him and the inspired legacy of Richard Rodgers with this award.”
“The Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award honors the exceptional voices defining musical theatre,” added Patricia Leonard, executive director of The ASCAP Foundation. “We are proud to celebrate Cinco Paul, whose distinguished Broadway debut with Schmigadoon! upholds the legendary artistry and innovative spirit of Richard Rodgers.”
Paul, 62, is also known for his hit family films co-written with Ken Daurio. Their films, which combined have made over $4 billion worldwide, include the first three Despicable Me movies, Horton Hears a Who, The Lorax and The Secret Life of Pets.
Other recent work includes the Sacha Baron Cohen Netflix movie Ladies First, a new musical TV series at Apple TV and Sweet Jesus, a new stage musical co-written with Bekah Brunstetter.