Songwriters Hall honors Stevie Wonder

LOS ANGELES, April 15 (UPI) -- The National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame said Thursday Stevie Wonder will be honored at its awards ceremony in New York in June.

Wonder will receive the Johnny Mercer Award, given to songwriters who have already been inducted into the hall and whose "body of work is of such high quality and impact, that it upholds the gold standard set by the legendary Johnny Mercer." Wonder joins a list of precious Mercer Award recipients that includes Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Billy Joel, Carole King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.

"The Johnny Mercer Award goes to a 'songwriter's songwriter,'" said David, the songwriters academy chairman. "I can think of no one who is more deserving of this accolade than Stevie Wonder."

Wonder's hits include "Superstition," "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" and the Oscar-winning "I Just Called to Say I Love You."

Charles Fox, Al Green, Don McLean and two writing teams -- Daryl Hall and John Oates, and Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield -- will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York on June 10.