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A recent recipient of the 2007 ASCAP Henry Mancini Career Achievement award, Marc Shaiman is one of entertainment's most celebrated contemporary musical visionaries. Shaiman is a versatile talent -- working as a composer, lyricist, arranger, performer and producer for film, television, theatre and recordings.

Shaiman wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics for the smash hit Hairspray, which debuted on Broadway in 2002. Based on John Waters' 1988 cult classic, Hairspray went on to win eight Tonys, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.

Shaiman is currently composing the original score for the new Rob Reiner film,The Bucket List, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The Bucket List follows the adventures of two terminally ill men who leave their hospital and head out on the open road with a list of must-do's before they kick the proverbial bucket. The film is set for release in the fall of 2007 by Warner Bros.

His extensive film credits as a composer, lyricist and performer include Broadcast News, Beaches, When Harry Met Sally..., City Slickers, The Addams Family, Sister Act, Sleepless in Seattle, A Few Good Men, The American President, The First Wives Club, George of the Jungle, In & Out, Patch Adams, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, and Team America: World Police.

In addition to his busy film slate, this past year Shaiman appeared on Broadway alongside long time friend Martin Short in the original musical Fame Becomes Me (for which Shaiman was recently nominated for a Drama Desk Award) and is also composing and co-writing the lyrics for the upcoming musical Catch Me If You Can, based upon Steven Spielberg's acclaimed film. The musical is workshopping this summer with Nathan Lane in a lead role.

The composer's impressive and extensive body of work has earned him awards and nominations across the board. He has five Academy Award nominations for the songs Blame Canada from South Park and A Wink And A Smile from Sleepless In Seattle as well as the scores for Patch Adams, The First Wives Club and The American President. He received a Grammy Award for the Original Broadway Cast Album of Hairspray and has received two additional Grammy nominations for his arrangements of Harry Connick Jr.'s recordings When Harry Met Sally and We Are In Love. Shaiman is the recipient of an Emmy Award for co-writing Billy Crystal's Academy Award performances and was also nominated for an Emmy for his work on Saturday Night Live. He appeared on SNL as Skip St. Thomas, the pianist mastermind for The Sweeney Sisters. Shaiman cultivated some of his longest and closest relationships through his work on the late-night comedy show, most notably with longtime friends Billy Crystal and Martin Short.

Shaiman began his career as a musical director for theatre and cabaret. This led him to become the vocal arranger for Bette Midler, then her musical director, and co-producer of many of her recordings, including The Wind Beneath My Wings and From A Distance. With Midler, he co-wrote the material for her Emmy Award-winning performance on the penultimate The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly recently performed Shaiman's hilarious musical tribute A Comedian at the Oscars at the 2007 Academy Awards.

Shaiman resides in Los Angeles and New York City.