Marilyn Bergman

Marilyn Bergman is a three-time Academy Award winner, a three-time Emmy Award winner, a two-time Grammy Award winner, a one-time Ace Award winner and one-half of one of the most respected song writing teams in music today.

In collaboration with her husband, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman won Oscars in 1968, 1973 and 1984 for the songs, "The Windmills of Your Mind," "The Way We Were," and for the score for "Yentl." Since their first Oscar nomination in 1968, they have been nominated sixteen times - for such songs as "It Might Be You" from "Tootsie," "How Do You Keep The Music Playing?" from "Best Friends," "Papa, Cart You Hear Me?" and "The Way He Makes Me Feet" from "Yentl" and "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" from "The Happy Ending." In 1996 they were nominated for both a Golden Globe award and an Academy Award for their song "Moonlight" performed by Sting from the Sydney Pollack film, "Sabrina." In 1998 they wrote the title track for Tony Bennett's album "The Playground" with music by the Late Bill Evans. For the early 1999 Val Kilmer/Mire Sorvio film "At First Sight" they wrote the love theme "Love Is Where You Are" with music by Mark Isham. Alan and Marilyn have been commissioned by The Kennedy Center to write a Jazz Song Cycle for their millenium celebration. They will collaborate with Cy Coleman.

"The Windmillslof Your Mind" and "The Way We Were" also received Golden Globe awards and "The Way We Were" earned two Grammys. The three Emmys are for "Sybil," "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom" and "Ordinary Miracles." Among their principal collaborators are Michel Legrand, Marvin Hamlisch, Dave Grusin, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mandel, John Williams, Quincy Jones and James Newton Howard.

In 1985, Marilyn became the first woman to be elected to the Board of Directors of ASCAP. In February of 1994 after serving five terms, she was elected President and Chairman of the Board of ASCAP. With annual revenues of approximately $450 million dollars, ASCAP is the world's foremost performing rights organization. Under her leadership, ASCAP has taken a leading role in the struggle to protect the rights of creators here and abroad.

Ms. Bergman served two terms (1994-1998) in a leadership capacity on behalf of songwriters on the world stage as the President of CISAC, the International Confederation of Performing Right Societies. On September 18, 1996 she received France's highest cultural honor, Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters medal and in June 1998 she received the Cultural Medal of Honor from SGAE, the Spanish performing right society.

Among her many awards and honors, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980 and was a recipient of the Crystal Award from Women in Film in 1986. In 1995 she received a National Academy of Songwriters Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate degree from the Berklee College of Music. In 1996 Marilyn received the first Fiorello Lifetime Achievement Award from New York's LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. In June of 1997, she received the Songwriters Hall of Fame Johnny Mercer Award. 1998 brought Marilyn another honorary doctorate degree from Trinity College.

Marilyn is a member of the Executive Committee of the Music Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences; a member of the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Songwriters, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Songwriters Hail of Fame.

She is a member of the Women's Trusteeship and the National Women's Forum; serves on the Board of Directors of Rock-the-Vote and on the Board of Directors of the Streisand Foundation.

Marilyn, in collaboration with Alan, wrote the opening ceremonies "An American Reunion" for the Presidential Inauguration festivities held at the Lincoln Memorial and aired live on HBO, January 17, 1993.

In 1994, they scripted the already legendary Barbra Streisand Concert Tour and HBO Special for which they were nominated for a Cable Ace Award. They also received a Cable Ace Award and an Emmy Award for Original Song "Ordinary Miracles" from the HBO Special "Barbra Streisand: The Concert".

Together they wrote, and Marilyn co-executive produced, the acclaimed "One Voice" concert starring Barbra Streisand and executive produced a PBS Special, "The Music Makers: An ASCAP Celebration of American Music at Wolf Trap".

Marilyn has appeared on numerous talk shows and panels and hosted a PBS Special, "Women In Song".

Marilyn was a music major at New York's High School of Music & Art, going on to study Psychology and English at New York University. After college, she moved to Los Angeles and picked up the musical thread of her life. In 1956 she met Alan Bergman and several years later began what was to be a partnership in life and work.

Alan and Marilyn have one daughter, Julie Bergman Sender, an independent film producer.