An A-List Conversation with the 2020 Oscar® Nominated Songwriters

(left to right) - SHOF West Cost Committee member and event co-chair Mike Todd, SHOF Board Member/West Coast Committee Chair, Mary Jo Mennella, SHOF inductee Paul Williams, Cynthia Erivo, SHOF inductee Diane Warren, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, SHOF inductee Bernie Taupin, Moderator Jon Burlingame and co-chair Ray Costa (photos by Vern Evans)

The Songwriters Hall of Fame honored this year’s Oscar® nominees for Best Original Song at its fourth-annual nominees Q&A event, A Conversation with 2020 Oscar®-Nominated Songwriters, held Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at LA Film School. 
 
The event was hosted by the 1976 Best Original Song Oscar® winner/SHOF inductee Paul Williams, who is also an SHOF Board Member, and moderated by noted film and television author and journalist Jon Burlingame from Variety. The program featured Oscar® nominees and SHOF inductee Bernie Taupin, Cynthia Erivo, SHOF inductee Diane Warren, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.   Additionally, Oscar® nominee Joshuah Brian Campbell participated in the discussion via Skype. 
 
Film clips of each nominated song began the program followed by an insightful dialog among the writers who praised each other for their respective achievements and outlined their process in working with each filmmaker.
 
SHOF Board Member/West Coast Committee Chair Mary Jo Mennella made introductory remarks and noted “each year we celebrate and honor the year’s Best Song nominees for the Academy Award as part of our educational outreach mission in collaboration with the L. A Film School.  The event has grown in stature to a capacity audience, now in its 4th year, and attendees gained an insider’s view as to the craft of each song by this astounding Class of 2020”.  Songwriters Hall of Fame West Coast Committee member Mike Todd and Ray Costa of Costa Communications served as event chairs and producers.
 
Sponsored by Variety, this event is one of the many Songwriters Hall of Fame programs that celebrate and honor the contributions and legacies of songwriters in all genres, while fostering the next generation of songwriters through educational forums, scholarships, and digital initiatives leading up to the annual induction gala in June. Also in attendance were West Coast Committee members Kathy Spanberger, Barbara Cane, Michael Pizzuto, Donna Caseine, Rebekah Alperin and SHOF Board Members Nancy Munoz and John Titta.

Read more about this event here!