Sixteen-year-old Kári Egilsson received the ASCAP Foundation Desmond Child Anthem Award at the Lincoln Centre on Wednesday night in New York.
Kári Egilsson was born in Reykjavík, Iceland and has been studying piano since the age of seven. He attends Menton High School where he studies both classical and jazz piano playing as well as music theory. He writes music in different styles — jazz, classical and pop/rock and has won two awards from The Upbeat, a songwriting program for children and youth held annually at the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Reykjavík.
The Desmond Child Anthem Award was established by Desmond Child and is presented to a promising songwriter.
Egilsson is the son of famous journalist and tv host Egill Helgason.
The ASCAP Foundation Desmond Child Anthem Award was established by Grammy awarding-winning ASCAP songwriter/producer Desmond Child who was inducted into The Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2008 and is known for his collaborations with many big-name pop artists such as KISS, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Cher, Michael Bolton and Ricky Martin during his 30-year tenure at ASCAP. The award was established in 2009 as part of his ManUp4Kids program which provides low-income families the opportunity to attend music, theatre, and cultural events within their community that would otherwise be unattainable, as well as sponsoring instrument rentals, lessons and scholarships to music summer camps. ManUp4Kids helps to give struggling parents the possibility of sharing life changing musical moments and unforgettable memories with their children. The recipient is selected by music industry professionals.
