ASCAP Honors Diddy with Founders Award

 (AP) -- Hip-Hop pioneer Sean "Diddy" Combs was presented with the ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) Founders Award Friday night at the organization's 24th annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards. The ceremony honors the
songwriters and publishers of 2010's most performed ASCAP songs on the R&B, hip-hop, rap and gospel charts.

The ASCAP Founders Award is given to songwriters and composers whose musical legacies have inspired and influenced fellow music creators. Sean "Diddy" Combs
is a recognized producer, solo artist and performer, who has produced hit songs for music superstars including Aretha Franklin, Sting, Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson and the Notorious B.I.G. Combs has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards.


"You don't know how happy I am right now. I am truly happy. I don't be skipping around during the day being extra happy. I'm extra, extra happy right now. I truly, truly appreciate this. I mean the feeling of just being acknowledged by your peers, and I definitely feel comfortable enough to call you all family."
Said Combs.

Combs joins such previous Founders honorees as Dr. Dre, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Paul McCartney, Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson.

Another honoree Friday night included Grammy Award winners Tina Atkins-Campbell and Erica Atkins-Cambell of Mary Mary. Atkins-Campbell were honored with the Golden Note Award.

"Oh my god, this is so surreal. This is so awesome, because all I remember is being in my room as a little girl with a tape-recorder making up songs and Tina going in the bathroom screaming and all my other sisters saying, 'shut up' because she was in the studio recording, which was the bathroom." Erica Atkins-Cambell said after receiving the Golden Note Award.

Top awards were also given to Ludacris, Noah '40' Shebib and Matthew 'BOI-1DA' Samuels who all tied for Songwriters of the Year.

"This is my first time at ASCAP," Said Shebib, "So to be walking out with that much stuff in my arms, definitely means the world to me,"

Other top awards included:
Top Rap Song; "Nothin' On You" written by Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine and Bruno Mars.
Top Gospel Song; "They That Wait" written by Ericka R. Warren.
Top R B/Hip-Hop Song; "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" written by Kerry "Krucial"
Brothers, Alicia Keys and Noah "40" Shebib.
Year Publisher of the Year; EMI Music Publishing.