Be More Chill composer-lyricist Joe Iconis received the Richard Rodgers New Horizon Award December 12 at the 2018 ASCAP Foundation Honors at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall.

Iconis, who will make his Broadway debut when Be More Chill premieres at the Lyceum Theatre this winter, was honored for his achievements in musical theatre composition. Tony-, Oscar-, and Grammy-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz presented Iconis with the award.

The ASCAP Foundation also honored R&B and pop icon Valerie Simpson with its George M. Cohan Friars Foundation Award and Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Melinda Wagner with The ASCAP Foundation Masters Award. The ASCAP Foundation 2018 scholarship recipients were also recognized.

The ceremony also featured performances of Wagner’s “Noggin” by pianist Geoffrey Burleson; “Michael in the Bathroom,” from Iconis’ Be More Chill, performed by cast member George Salazar; “Um só” solo on berimbau from Morton Gould Young Composer Award recipient Alex C. Lamb; “Crosswinds” from Desmond Child Anthem Award winner Kári Egilsson; “It’s Alright,” on acoustic guitar, from Leon Brettler Award winner Madeleine Anderson; and “In Between” from “Reach Out and Touch” award winner Ryan Shaw. Simpson delivered the final performance of the evening solo on piano.

A complete list of 2018 ASCAP Foundation Scholarship and Awards recipients can be found by clicking here.

Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education, talent development and humanitarian programs.