Composer David Vanacore will receive ASCAP’s Golden Note Award on April 28 at the ASCAP Screen Music Awards in Los Angeles.
This year, Vanacore is also celebrating scoring the 50th season of the hit CBS show Survivor, for which he has composed the music since the show’s inception 25 years ago.
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For his work on Survivor, which includes incorporating cultural soundscapes and collaborating with indigenous musicians, Vanacore has been named the top ASCAP winner for Most Performed Themes & Underscore 21 consecutive times at previous Screen Music Awards.
Among the other reality television shows Vanacore has scored are Hell’s Kitchen, The Apprentice, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader and Big Brother, earning him the nickname The King of Reality TV.
“David’s commitment to authenticity and his inventive approach have enabled him to create the signature sounds for some of America’s most beloved television shows,” ASCAP chairman of the board/president Paul Williams said in a statement. “His tireless work ethic has made him an icon and a go-to creative partner in Hollywood. We are honored to present David with the ASCAP Golden Note Award.”
One key to Vanacore’s success is continually flexing his writing muscles. On an ASCAP panel several years ago, he imparted the following advice: “I attended a class taught by [late] composer Henry Mancini, whose advice was to write a piece of music every day and finish it, whether it’s 30 seconds, 1 minute, whatever,” he said. “I left that class and started writing every day.”
The ASCAP Golden Note Award is presented to ASCAP members who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. Previous Golden Note Award recipients include Lionel Richie, Jeff Lynne, Quincy Jones, Jermaine Dupri, Reba McEntire, Alicia Keys and composers Alf Clausen and Mark Snow.
Vanacore, who began his career as a session and touring musician, is founder/CEO of the Emmy-nominated Vanacore Music, a full-service music production house for film, television and advertising for more than 20 years.