9/16/2026

Courtesy of SONA

Songwriters of North America (SONA) has announced their upcoming SONA Awards and SONA Awards Week in October. This year, the advocacy organization will honor Annie Lennox (Artist Songwriter Award), Tom Morello (Freedom of Expression Warrior Award), Desmond Child (Songwriter Warrior Award), Laurent Hubert (Executive of the Year) and the writers behind the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack (Global Impact Award). The awards ceremony, previously known as the SONA Warrior Awards, will be held at Skirball Cultural Center and hosted by talents Bonnie McKee and Shane Stevens on Oct. 29.

The SONA Awards were established in an effort to honor the songwriters, artists and professional allies who champion songwriters and their contributions to the industry. To kick off the night, guests will walk the black carpet, presented by TikTok and hosted by TikTok correspondent and Behind the Wall podcast host Daniel Wall. This year, the organization will also add to the festivities by announcing live the winner of the community-voted Emerging Songwriter Award, presented by YouTube Songwriters. Billboard will return as a media partner for the event.

Awards at the nearly 600-person event will be presented by talents like Justin Tranter, Toby Lightman, Ross Golan, Kay Hanley and Dina LaPolt. Plus, it will feature SONA CEO/co-founder Michelle Lewis, SONA executive director and board member Erin McAnally and SONA Foundation executive director and board member Kellie Brown.

The lead-up to the event will serve as further celebration of songwriters and composers. This includes an all-day series of panels, SONA Songwriters Summit, on Oct. 28 at Village Studios in Hollywood, which will include a keynote conversation with Kobalt’s Hubert.

SONA was founded in 2015 as a way to fight for U.S. songwriters’ interests. The organization plays an active role in advocating for songwriters before legislative bodies, administrative agencies and before the courts. Its board of directors includes: Andrae Alexander, Angie Pagano, Autumn Rowe, Camus Celli, Courtney Harrell, Dina LaPolt (2025 Honoree), Erin McAnally (SONA Executive Director and Vice-Chair), Jack Kugell, Jared Brenner (Board Secretary), Lauren Christy, Linda Bloss-Baum (Government Affairs Lead), Mark Pariser (Board Treasurer), Michelle Lewis (CEO and Chair), Roahn Hylton,  Ross Golan (2024 Warrior Award Honoree), Samantha Bullock and Shane Stevens. 

Tickets for the event are on sale now, and all proceeds benefit SONA. Click here to buy.

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