NATIONAL MEDAL OF ARTS 2008 Awarded to SCL Ambassadors ROBERT SHERMAN and RICHARD SHERMAN

Washington, D.C. — THE 2008 NATIONAL MEDAL OF ARTS was awarded to SCL Ambassadors ROBERT B. SHERMAN and RICHARD M. SHERMAN and presented by President Bush on November 17, 2008 in an East Room ceremony. The Sherman Brothers were commended — for unforgettable songs and optimistic lyrics that have brought magic to the screen and stage. The Sherman Brothers’ music has helped bring joy to millions. — The National Medal of Arts, established by Congress in 1984, is awarded by the President and managed by the National Endowment for the Arts. Award recipients are selected based on their contributions to the creation, growth, and support of the arts in the United States. Each year, the Arts Endowment seeks nominations from individuals and organizations across the country. The National Council on the Arts, the Arts Endowment’s presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed advisory body, reviews the nominations and provides recommendations to the President, who selects the recipients. The Sherman Brothers? Songwriting Team Robert B. Sherman – London, England Richard M. Sherman – Los Angeles, CA ?Brothers Robert B. Sherman (born December 19, 1925) and Richard M. Sherman (born June 12, 1928) have a song-writing career spanning five decades that includes two Academy Awards, one for MARY POPPINS (score) and one for CHIM CHIM CHER-EE (song). The Sherman Brothers also wrote the world’s most translated and performed song, IT’S A SMALL WORLD (AFTER ALL). In the early 1950s, after both serving in the U.S. army, Robert and Richard began writing songs together on a challenge from their father, Al Sherman, a successful popular songwriter in the Tin Pan Alley days. They first gained recognition in popular music with such top-ten hits as YOU’RE SIXTEEN, LET’S GET TOGETHER and TALL PAUL. In 1960 the brothers marked the start of their ten-year exclusive association with Walt Disney, where, as his staff songwriters, they wrote over 200 songs for his films, television shows and theme parks. Their 36 feature Disney film credits include JUNGLE BOOK, THE PARENT TRAP, THE ARISTOCATS, BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS, THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE, THE FAMILY BAND, THE SWORD IN THE STONE, and the WINNIE THE POOH series. They also wrote the Disney TV theme song, THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF COLOR, and for the theme parks, THE TIKI TIKI TIKI ROOM, THERE’S A GREAT BIG, BEAUTIFUL TOMORROW (CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS), and ONE LITTLE SPARK (Epcot). After Disney, they wrote song scores for CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, SNOOPY COME HOME, CHARLOTTE’S WEB, and the Broadway musical, OVER HERE!. The brothers then created both the screenplays and song scores for TOM SAWYER, HUCKLEBERRY FINN, THE MAGIC OF LASSIE, and THE SLIPPER AND THE ROSE (the 1976 Royal Command film). More recently, they wrote the songs for the Disney animated feature, THE TIGGER MOVIE, and the stage musical, BUSKER ALLEY. After an almost four-year run in London and a tour of England, the stage production of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG is now launching a national tour of the U.S, and the stage production of MARY POPPINS, going into its third year on Broadway, has worldwide touring companies circling the globe. Both brothers were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 9, 2005 and in 2006, Richard Sherman was awarded the Gold Medallion of Honor by UNICEF for his help in raising funds for children with HIV/AIDS. http://www.nea.gov/news/news08/medals/Sherman.html http://www.nea.gov/news/news08/Medals.html

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THE SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS & LYRICISTS (SCL) is the non-profit and primary organization for professional film, TV and video game composers and lyricists, with a distinguished 60-year history in the fine art of creating music for motion pictures and television. The predecessor organization, the Screen Composers Association, began in 1945 with such legendary icons as Max Steiner, Bernard Herrmann, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Dimitri Tiomkin and David Raksin among others. Current SCL Members include the top creative professionals whose experience and expertise is focused on many of the creative, technological, legal, newsworthy and pressing issues of the film/television/game music industry today. http://www.TheSCL.com

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