ASCAP Honors David Vanacore with Golden Note Award

LOS ANGELES, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This evening, at its exclusive ASCAP Screen Celebrates event in Los Angeles, ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) announced the 2026 ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards honorees along with the ASCAP Screen Music Awards winners behind today’s most compelling film, television and video game music.

The ASCAP Screen Music Awards celebrate composers whose work elevates the art of visual storytelling across film, television and interactive media. Included in these are the ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards, which are chosen by the ASCAP composer and songwriter community, an exclusive honor among US performing rights organizations. The 2026 winners, selected from a competitive field of nominees, created music for a critically acclaimed television comedy-drama series, a major cinematic musical adaptation, a landmark historical documentary series, and a standout fantasy-adventure video game, among others:

2026 ASCAP Composers’ Choice Award Winners

• Film Score of the Year: Wicked: For Good – John Powell & Stephen Schwartz
• Television Score of the Year: Palm Royale – Jeff Toyne
• Television Theme of the Year: Pluribus – Dave Porter; Stranger Things – Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein (tie)
• Documentary Film Score of the Year: The Age of Disclosure – Blair Mowat
• Documentary Series Score of the Year: Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time – Amanda Jones
• Video Game Score of the Year: Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate’s Fortune – Wilbert Roget II, Jon Everist and Cody Matthew Johnson

In other categories, while Michael Giacchino received Top Domestic Box Office Film of the Year for Zootopia 2. Jake Staley earned Top Network Television Series for his work on the drama High Potential, and John Sereda received Top Cable Television Series for the historical drama When Calls the Heart. David Vanacore was the top winner in the Most Performed Themes & Underscore category.

This marked Vanacore’s 22nd consecutive win in the Most Performed Themes and Underscore category, and his 11th consecutive time as the top winner. During the celebration, Vanacore was also presented with ASCAP’s prestigious Golden Note Award in recognition of his extraordinary career achievements and impact on television music. A pioneering force in unscripted scoring, Vanacore has composed the music for CBS’s Survivor since its debut in 2000, with 2026 marking the series’ landmark 50th season.

ASCAP’s Golden Note Award is presented to artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. Previous recipients include Lionel Richie, Jeff Lynne, Quincy Jones, Jermaine Dupri, Reba McEntire, Alicia Keys and composers Alf Clausen and Mark Snow.

The complete list of winners is available on the ASCAP website: www.ascap.com/screenawards26

About ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than 1.1 million songwriters, composers and music publishers, and represents some of the world’s most talented music creators. Founded and governed by songwriters, composers and publishers, it returns nearly 90 cents of every dollar collected to its members as royalties and has the lowest overhead rate of any U.S. PRO. ASCAP licenses a repertory of over 20 million musical works to hundreds of thousands of businesses that use music, including streaming services, cable television, radio and satellite radio and brick and mortar businesses such as retail stores, hotels, clubs, restaurants and bars. ASCAP collects the licensing fees and identifies, matches, processes and pays royalties to its members for trillions of performances every year. The ASCAP blanket license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. ASCAP puts music creators first, advocating for their rights and the value of music on Capitol Hill, driving innovation that moves the industry forward, building community and providing the resources and support that creators need to succeed in their careers. Learn more and stay in touch at www.ascap.com, on X and Instagram @ASCAP and on Facebook.

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SOURCE ASCAP – American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers