Justin Tranter, Allee Willis & More to be Honored at 2023 SONA Warrior Awards

Songwriters Justin Tranter and the late Allee Willis, country artist and podcast host Rissi Palmer and ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews will be honored at the 2023 SONA Warrior Awards, which will be held on Oct. 29 at 1 Hotel in West Hollywood, California. Songwriters Bonnie McKee and Shane Stevens are set to host the show.

McKee is known for her 2013 Billboard Hot 100 hit “American Girl,” as well as for co-writing hits by Katy Perry, Taio Cruz, Britney Spears, Kesha and others. Stevens has written for numerous country and pop acts, including Lady Antebellum, Selena Gomez, Carrie Underwood and Sara Evans.

Performers on the show are Brenda Russell (in honor of Willis), Miko Marks (in honor of Palmer) and Kitchen Swanky Band (representing Songwriters of North America’s – SONA’s –  work in the Caribbean).

The SONA Warrior Awards celebrate the talent and hard work of individuals known for their accomplishments within the music industry, while also honoring their efforts advocating for songwriters’ rights.

SONA brings together music creatives and industry professionals to reimagine the music industry in the 21st century. The organization’s main issues are: a right to fair pay in the age of digital media, the ability to advocate for themselves, the right to safety and equity within their workplaces.

SONA has long tried to unionize and stand for the rights of music artists/songwriters in the same way that the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild fight for the rights of writers and actors, respectively. SONA’s contention is that, just like the talent in those fields, songwriters are often paid unfairly and left uncredited for their work. For more information on SONA, go here.

Here’s some background on this year’s honorees: