Dionne Warwick is getting her flowers this year. The music icon has been crowned recipient of the SoundExchange Music Fairness Award for her advocacy work with SoundExchange and the musicFIRST coalition in support of the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA).
The AMFA bill, supported by SoundExchange, aims to guarantee that artists receive payment for their music played on traditional radio platforms.
At the American Music Fairness Act Bill Launch event in June 2021, Warwick made a commitment to this initiative. Later, she wrote an opinion piece for USA Today, in which she urged radio stations to compensate creators for the music they play on their stations.
“Dionne Warwick has been a fearless advocate and driving force in the fight to recognize that performers have been denied compensation for their work for more than a century,” said Michael Huppe, president and CEO of SoundExchange.
Huppe continued, “There’s no doubt that her enduring popularity and stature in the music industry, as well as her legacy of advocacy, has been critical in getting politicians, organizations, and her fellow musicians to pay attention to the issue. We are proud to honor Dionne for all her contributions to ensuring a fairer music industry.”
Formed in 2003, SoundExchange was created “to build a fairer, safer, simpler, and more efficient music industry through technology, data, and advocacy.”
Warwick isn’t the only artist to receive an award from SoundExchange this year. R&B icon Usher was presented with the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award for being among the most-stream creators in the company’s 20-year history.
Circling back to Warwick, her recent award comes months after she was announced as one of the five 2023 Kennedy Center honorees. She will be awarded at a ceremony on Dec. 3 in Washington, D.C., alongside Queen Latifah, Billy Crystal, Renée Fleming, and Barry Gibb.
“I’m exceptionally happy to be honored by the Kennedy Center. It’s very exciting to be recognized for my contributions to the music industry for the past 60 years,” Warwick previously stated.
Leading up to the 46th Kennedy Center Honors, Warwick will release a gospel album, Songs of Inspiration.
The album, which was produced by Damon Elliott, a Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated musician, features two previously released tracks: “I Kneel” featuring Donnie McClurkin and Elliott, and “Peace Like A River” featuring Dolly Parton.
Songs of Inspiration arrives this fall. It will mark her first album since 2019’s She Back.
In January 2025, Warwick is releasing a gift book, tentatively titled What the World Needs Now: Messages of Love and Hope (But No Advice Cause No One Listens Anyway). It will be published on HarperCollins Focus.
According to press materials, the book will include “heartfelt, humorous, and wisdom-filled stories from Dionne’s personal and professional life, alongside positive affirmations—and classic Dionne-isms.”
