Mary Rodgers Guettel will present Schwartz with the award, which recognizes "the lifetime contributions of outstanding talents in musical theatre," according to press notes. Schwartz will receive the award at the Omni William Penn Hotel as part of the CLO Guild's Pink Frolic Ball. CLO veterans will honor Schwartz with performances of his work. "It is a privilege to honor Stephen Schwartz with this award," said CLO executive producer Van Kaplan in a statement. "Stephen's prodigious success on Broadway and in film is just part of the story. He is also committed to nurturing young artists and developing new musicals. In 2007, through a partnership with The American Society of Composers, Authors and Producers (ASCAP) Foundation and The ASCAP Foundation/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop, Stephen began working directly with Pittsburgh CLO and his alma mater Carnegie Mellon University to provide professional workshop opportunities for new musicals in Pittsburgh. Stephen is a most generous collaborator and teacher."

Schwartz, a five-time Tony nominee for the scores of Pippin, Godspell, Working, Wicked and his lyrics for Rags, has earned Academy Awards for "Pocahontas" and "The Prince of Egypt." He earned three Academy Award nominations for his work on this past season's "Enchanted." Schwartz also received Grammy Awards for the recordings of Wicked, Godspell and "Pocahontas."

Previous Richard Rodgers Award honorees include Mary Martin, Julie Andrews, Harold Prince, Cameron Mackintosh, Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Gwen Verdon, Bernadette Peters, Shirley Jones, Kathleen Marshall and Rob Marshall.