The National Music Publishers’ Assn. will honor Grammy Award-winning songwriter/singer Amy Lee with its 2008 Songwriter Icon Award and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) with the 2008 President’s Award.

The group will present Lee with her award during the NMPA general membership meeting, which is open to all publishers and songwriters, next week in New York City.

“The NMPA is in many ways a bridge between policymakers and the music publishers and songwriters we serve, so it’s a privilege to recognize an outstanding representative from each of these groups in conjunction with our annual meeting each year,” NMPA president/CEO David Israelite says.

“This year we are honored that the multi-talented Amy Lee will join us in New York City not only to receive this award but to perform as well,” he continues. “We are also so pleased to present Senator Leahy with the President’s Award. He a friend of the industry, and a true fan of music.”

The Icon Award, which recognizes outstanding songwriters for their personal achievement, is presented to those who personify the vision of the NMPA and the goals of its members. Former recipients include Jimmy Webb and Neil Sedaka.

The NMPA established the President’s Award in 2005 to recognize an individual who has been a leader on issues of importance to music publishers and songwriters, and who works diligently to strengthen intellectual property protection.

The group will present Leahy with his award in Washington, D.C. The annual meeting is set for June 18 in New York City.

Amy Lee has denied rumors that she will collaborate with the heavy metal band Metallica for their upcoming album which is due later this year. She was rumored to be teaming up with the formerly long hair rockers on a reworking of their classic track “Fade to Black”. Instead, Amy is currently writing songs for the next Evanescence album.

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Evanescence star Amy Lee’s Christian beliefs were tested to the full when a married couple invited her to join them for sex. The singer admits she’s often propositioned by lusty fans backstage at concerts, but the offer to join the married couple for a threesome was a huge turn off. She says, “They kept getting closer and closer, and finally they let us know that they were swingers and they wanted to bring me back to their place. I was totally horrified.”* Found this on amyleefan.org.

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