Sign in to your TheaterMania account

Patti Smith will receive the Founders Award at ASCAP's annual pop music awards dinner, to be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, on April 21, according to Reuters.

Smith, who pioneered punk rock, will also perform at the event. In a statement, ASCAP president and CEO Paul Williams is quoted as saying, "She expanded the boundaries of artistic expression, musically and otherwise, inspiring generations of rockers worldwide."

This lifetime achievement award has previously gone to such artists as Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, and Tom Waits.

In addition to her many music credits, Smith co-wrote the play Cowboy Mouth with Sam Shepard.