New York, NY- April 15, 2014 – Dan Reynolds (of Imagine Dragons) will be the recipient of the prestigious Hal David Starlight Award, to be presented at the 45th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 12 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, Songwriters Hall of Fame Chairman Jimmy Webb announced today.
The Hal David Starlight Award, created in 2004, was named in honor of SHOF Chairman Emeritus Hal David, for his longtime support of young songwriters. Award recipients are gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry via their original songs. Dan Reynolds joins the prestigious company of Rob Thomas, Alicia Keys, John Mayer, John Legend, John Rzeznik, Jason Mraz, Taylor Swift, Drake, Ne-Yo and Benny Blanco.
“Dan Reynolds is a dream ticket for the Songwriters Hall of Fame Starlight Award,” said Jimmy Webb. “He has helped create truly contemporary rock n’ roll with the band Imagine Dragons. A sound at once musically literate and issue driven yet founded on solid composition and songwriting. We are extremely happy to join Dan with the other distinguished alumni who have received the Starlight.”
Dan Reynolds is the lead vocalist of the Grammy Award-winning rock band, Imagine Dragons, and is the co-writer of all of the songs recorded by the group, including “It’s Time,” “Radioactive,” “Demons,” “On Top of the World” and “Bleeding Out.”
Imagine Dragon’s full length debut album, Night Visions, released in the fall of 2012 on KIDinaKORNER/ Interscope Records, arrived on the Billboard Top 200 at #2 with the best first-week sales for a full-length debut by a new rock band in over six years. The album, which has passed the two million mark in sales, has been propelled by the success of the two-time platinum selling single “It’s Time,” the six-time platinum selling “Radioactive” and “Demons,” which is currently at 3.5 million sales.
“Radioactive” reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative songs chart, Billboard Rock songs chart, and #3 Billboard Hot 100. It set the all-time record for the longest reign at the top of the Billboard Rock Songs chart, with 23 consecutive weeks and the all-time record for longest run on the Billboard Hot 100, with 82 weeks and counting. In 2013, Rolling Stone called it “the biggest rock hit of the year.” “Radioactive” is the best-selling rock song in digital history, with sales of more than 6.5 million copies in the United States, and was the most streamed song of 2013 on Spotify in the U.S. The bands third single, “Demons,” reached #1 on the Billboard Pop songs chart and #6 Billboard Hot 100.
Recorded between 2010 and 2012, the album was produced by the band themselves, as well as English hip-hop producer and KidInaKorner label president, Alex da Kid, and Brandon Darner, from the American indie rock group The Envy Corps. Imagine Dragons toured multiple times in support of the album, including their world “Night Visions Tour” and North American arena “Into the Night Tour.”
Of the writing process Reynolds says, “We all sat in a room and wrote out what the band and sound of the album means to us. We all deal with our own demons and anxieties but we find that nothing calms the mind more than creating. Many of the songs on the album were written late into the night, and some of the lyrical themes came from dreams I’ve had, even some nightmares. So when the title Night Visions came up, it just seemed to fit perfectly. We hope it inspires other to create, and push through their own struggles.”
Prior to their mainstream success, the band independently released three EPs and toured extensively, earning a grass roots following. Aside from Imagine Dragons, Reynolds and wife Aja Volkman formed the rock band Egyptian, and in 2011, they independently released a self-titled four track EP, which they produced.
Inductees at this year’s event include Ray Davies, Donovan, Graham Gouldman, Mark James and Jim Weatherly. The prestigious Johnny Mercer Award will be presented to Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff and Doug Morris will be honored with the Hitmaker Award.
