"Reach Out and Touch" Award in honor of Nick Ashford

Valerie Simpson, pop and soul songwriting legend and ASCAP and ASCAP Foundation Board member, has established The ASCAP Foundation "Reach Out and Touch" Award in honor of Nick Ashford. Ashford & Simpson collaborated on such iconic R&B songs like" Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing," "You're All I Need to Get By," "Gimme Something Real" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)." They began writing songs together in 1964. Their songs have been recorded by such musical giants as Diana Ross, Gladys Knight and the Pips and Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The Award, named after one of their great hit songs, was established to advance the careers of promising songwriters by providing financial assistance for professional recordings of their work.

Past Recipients: