Paul Anka to get Mercer award

NEW YORK, April 16 (UPI) -- U.S. entertainer Paul Anka has been chosen to receive the Johnny Mercer Award at the upcoming Songwriters Hall of Fame 2008 Awards dinner in New York.

Hal David, Chairman and CEO of the Hall of Fame, made the announcement Tuesday. The event is to take place June 19 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.

The Johnny Mercer Award is reserved for a songwriter who has already been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and whose body of work "upholds the gold standard set by the legendary Johnny Mercer."

Past recipients of the award are Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Billy Joel, Jimmy Webb, Hal David, Burt Bacharach, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Paul Simon, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Stephen Sondheim, Cy Coleman, Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne.

"Paul Anka's classic songs have a universal and timeless appeal, and his enduring ingenuity and integrity as an artist and performer are greatly respected and admired by his peers and fans alike," David said in a statement.

Inductees at this year's event include Desmond Child, Albert Hammond, Loretta Lynn, Alan Menken and John Sebastian.