Killers, Patti Smith Recognised at the ASCAP Music Awards

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers -- the performing rights organisation for the US music industry -- has honoured the Killers and Patti Smith at its annual music awards ceremony.

The Killers received ASCAP's Vanguard Award at Wednesday night's Los Angeles bash, a prize that recognizes "the impact of musical genres that help shape the future of American music," according to a press release. Past Vanguard winners include Arcade Fire, Santigold and the Strokes.

Patti Smith, meanwhile, graced the 27th addition of the ASCAP trophy-giving with a performance that included favourites like 'Because the Night.' The veteran punk poet, who played with her band, also picked up the Founders Award -- a celebration of songwriters who have made "pioneering contributions to music by inspiring and influencing their fellow music creators." Previous recipients in this category include Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and Elvis Costello.

In accepting her honour, Smith paid tribute to ASCAP's role collecting royalties for artists. "I just thought you did your record and that was it," the singer recalled, "And the first time I got these cheques, I said, 'I already got paid for that song.' So I'm grateful in good times, and I was very grateful in hard times."