BMI Awards
Benson Boone will receive the BMI Champion Award at the 2025 BMI Pop Awards on May 13 at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, Calif. Previous recipients include Peso Pluma, SZA, Jonathan McReynolds, Khalid, Mark Ronson, Residente, Sebastian Krys and Keith Urban.
The annual, private event will be hosted by Mike O’Neill, BMI president & CEO, Barbara Cane, VP, Worldwide Creative; Samantha Cox, VP, Creative, NY; and Tracie Verlinde, VP, Creative, LA. BMI’s pop song of the year, songwriter of the year, publisher of the year and BMI’s 50 most-performed pop songs in the U.S. of the previous year will also be named.
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“Benson Boone has reshaped the global soundscape of culture and music with an indomitable spirit and love of craft, artistry, and performance,” Cane said in a statement. “As one of today’s most exciting hitmakers, Benson inspires through his honest storytelling which is ignited by his passion and authenticity.”
Boone’s Warner Records debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, this week marks its one-year anniversary on the Billboard 200. The album debuted and peaked at No. 6. It spawned the smash “Beautiful Things” (No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100) and hit follow-up “Slow It Down” (No. 32). Boone’s current single, “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” which has so far reached No. 44, will be featured on Boone’s sophomore album, due this summer.
Boone, now 22, won his first BMI Pop Award in 2023 for “Ghost Town.”
On Feb. 2, Boone performed “Beautiful Things” on the Grammy Awards, where he was a best new artist nominee – and inadvertently went viral when he adjusted his tight and restricting jumpsuit on camera. On March 1, he was nominated for international artist of the year and best international song at the Brit Awards.
Boone’s awards wins in recent months include best alternative at MTV’s Video Music Awards, best new at the MTV Europe Music Awards, top Billboard Global 200 song and top Billboard Global 200 (excl. U.S.) song at the Billboard Music Awards and song of the year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
BMI celebrated the best in gospel music on Wednesday (April 3) at the 2025 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards held at Flourish in Atlanta. Gospel music pioneer and pastor John P. Kee was honored as a Trailblazer of Gospel Music in recognition of his artistry and influence on the genre throughout his career spanning more than 40 years.
The private was ceremony hosted by Mike O’Neill, BMI’s president & CEO, and Catherine Brewton, vp, creative, Atlanta.
Throughout the afternoon, BMI saluted the 25 most-performed gospel songs of the previous year, leading up to the presentation of the BMI Gospel Song of the Year award, which went to “Goodness of God” written by Ed Cash, Ben Fielding (APRA) and Jason Ingram. Performed by CeCe Winans, the hit logged four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart and reached No. 2 on Hot Gospel Songs. The soulful ballad was Winans’ fourth No. 1 on the Gospel Airplay chart.
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Kirk Franklin and Charles Jenkins tied as BMI’s Gospel Songwriter of the Year for each writing two of the most-performed gospel songs of the previous year. Franklin was honored for “All Things” and “Try Love,” giving him his fourth Songwriter of the Year award – three for gospel and one for Christian. Jenkins was recognized for his songs “God Be Praised” and “Look at God,” marking the first time he’s received this title. This brings his total of BMI Awards to eight.
BMI’s Gospel Publisher of the Year went to Capitol CMG for having the highest publisher share percentage of the top 25 songs, including BMI’s Gospel Song of the Year, “Goodness of God.”
As a Trailblazer of Gospel Music, Kee was honored for his signature blend of traditional and contemporary gospel music. O’Neill presented Kee with the honor, saluting his “extraordinary contributions that have greatly influenced the gospel genre and deeply touched the community.”
The musical tributes to Kee kicked off with Lena Byrd Miles performing “Yes Lord,” followed by Chrystal Rucker’s performance of “The Anointing.” The tributes continued with Kelontae Gavin singing “Never Shall Forget” and Jekalyn Carr performing “Standing in the Need.” Lisa Knowles-Smith and her children KJ and Ndia paid homage to Kee with renditions of “Lily in the Valley” and “He’ll Welcome Me.” Vanessa Bell Armstrong followed with “Wave It Away,” featuring Donald Lawrence and The Company. Zacardi Cortez ended the tribute with an uplifting performance of “Jesus is Real.”
Upon receiving the honor, Kee, known as the “Prince of Gospel,” thanked his family and friends, many of whom were in the room, for their love and support. “Every time you win an award, I win an award,” he said. “I’m just a proud Uncle John.” He went on to say that he was going to “flip the moment” by presenting BMI’s Brewton with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her “vision and determination that have paved the way for future generations of women in business.”
The ceremony concluded with Kee singing the opening line to his hit, “New Life” and he was joined with an impromptu celebration from many of the gospel greats in the room, including Isaac Carree, Zacardi Cortez, Eric Dawkins, Kirk Franklin, Jonathan McReynolds, Tasha Page-Lockhart, Lisa Page Brooks and Marvin Sapp.
Visit BMI’s website to see a full list of BMI’s Trailblazers of Gospel Music Award honorees.
On Tuesday night (Nov. 19), performing rights organization BMI celebrated the songwriters and publishers behind 50 of the previous year’s most-performed country songs during its annual BMI Country Awards, held at BMI Nashville’s offices.
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Among the songs honored were Jelly Roll’s “Need a Favor,” Cody Johnson’s “The Painter,” Kane Brown’s “Bury Me in Georgia,” Luke Combs’s “Where the Wild Things Are” and more. Leading the festivities were BMI’s President & CEO Mike O’Neill, BMI Nashville’s VP, Creative, Clay Bradley, and BMI Nashville’s executive director of creative Shannon Sanders.
The evening launched with Ella Langley, Lukas Nelson and Aaron Raitiere teaming for a rendition of “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
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Zach Bryan and Chase McGill tied as honorees for the BMI songwriter of the year honor, with each songwriter co-writing six of BMI’s most-performed songs in country music. Bryan’s credits were “Burn, Burn, Burn,” “Dawns,” “Hey Driver,” “I Remember Everything,” “Oklahoma Smokeshow” and “Sun to Me,” while McGill co-wrote Morgan Wallen’s “Ain’t That Some,” Luke Bryan’s “But I Got a Beer in My Hand,” Conner Smith’s “Creek Will Rise,” Russell Dickerson’s “God Gave Me a Girl,” Jordan Davis’s “Next Thing You Know,” and Thomas Rhett’s “Mamaw’s House.” Bryan was not in attendance, but McGill took the stage to thank his family and those who have been a part of his journey.
He also thanked his longtime music publisher, Universal Music Publishing Group, and recalled telling UMPG executive Terry Wakefield about his career aims. “Terry came to my house the day we started working together and he asked me, ‘What are your goals as a songwriter?’ I said, ‘I don’t have goals–I have a goal: I want to be BMI writer of the year.’ So Terry laid out a plan and here we are. So thank you.”
Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” was named the 2024 BMI country song of the year, and was published by Big Loud Mountain, John Byron Music, Sony/ATV Songs LLC and Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. “Last Night” led the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 16 nonconsecutive weeks.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp was named publisher of the year, publishing 34 of the 50 most-performed songs of the year, including Parker McCollum’s “Burn It Down,” Tyler Hubbard’s “Dancin’ in the Country,” Riley Green’s “Different ‘Round Here,” Warren Zeiders’ “Pretty Little Poison” and Bailey Zimmerman’s “Religiously.”
Alabama frontman Randy Owen was honored with the BMI Icon award, joining an elite group of fellow recipients that have included Toby Keith, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Bill Anderson, Dean Dillon and Kris Kristofferson. Owen is not only the lead singer for three-time CMA vocal group of the year winners Alabama, but his songwriting prowess is evidenced by some of the group’s enduring hit songs including “Christmas in Dixie,” “Tennessee River,” “Feels So Right,” and “My Home’s in Alabama.” Along the way, Owen has won 25 BMI Million-Air Awards and in 2000, he was honored with the BMI president’s award.
“One thing I learned early on, when I signed to BMI under [former BMI Nashville president/CEO] Frances Preston,” Owen told Billboard on the red carpet. “Honestly, I had no idea that you could make money writing songs. I just wrote songs that I enjoyed writing, songs that I felt like I had to write.”
Dolly Parton and Kenny Chesney offered tributes to Owen via video, while Riley Green honored Owen by performing “My Home’s in Alabama.” Luke Bryan offered a superb vocal rendering on the soulful and sultry “Feels So Right.” The evening recognized not only Owen’s work as a songwriter, but his dedication to giving back to others, most notably through his work in launching the Country Cares for St. Jude Kids program, which recently reached its milestone 35th anniversary and celebrated raising $1 billion for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital since 1989.
One of the highlights of the evening came when Blake Shelton performed a rendition of Alabama’s 1982 hit “Mountain Music.”
“Congratulations, you deserve this,” Shelton told Owen.
Shelton welcomed Bryan back to the stage to join him, backed by guitar and searing fiddle. The crowd of songwriters, publishers and other industry members, all garbed in suits and elegant dresses, immediately rose to their feet, clapping and singing along to Owen’s lyrics of flowing rivers, rustic Cajun hideaways and playing baseball with chert rocks. As artists performed their tributes, Owen could often be seen wiping away tears as he watched from the audience.
Owen and his wife Kelly took the stage, with Kelly offering insights into Owen’s songwriting and praising how his songs have impacted not only their family, but so many music fans. Owen himself then thanked those who have been essential to the group’s success, including producer Harold Shedd, who was in attendance. “You may be 115 years old, but you’re still a stud to me,” Owen told Shedd with a chuckle.
Owen honored his late Alabama bandmate Jeff Cook, calling Cook “a musical genius.” He also welcomed his Alabama bandmate Teddy Gentry to the stage alongside him, thanking him for their friendship, and praising Gentry’s work in crafting the group’s harmonies.
“Teddy, I love you and I appreciate you being here tonight. It means the world to me and my family. I appreciate you, and we’re still rockin’,” Owen said, ending by thanking the musicians who played on all of Alabama’s records.
“Thank you for this night. It’s a highlight.”
SZA had a big night at the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, which were held at Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles on Thursday (Sept. 5). In addition to receiving the previously announced BMI Champion Award, she was named BMI’s R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter of the Year and received Song of the Year for “Kill Bill” alongside her co-writers Rob Bisel and Carter Lang. The smash hit reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has over one billion streams on Spotify.
Upon receiving the BMI Champion Award, SZA said, “I have to say songwriting awards mean the most to me because when I started and I needed people to come and write for me; I didn’t have anybody. … I’m grateful to be honored today because there’s so many songwriters in here that literally made me.”
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This marked the first time the BMI Champion Award has been presented in the R&B/Hip-Hop ceremony’s 24-year history. Mike Steinberg, BMI’s EVP, chief revenue & creative officer, praised SZA “for using her voice as a champion … and raising the bar in songwriting creativity and breaking boundaries at every turn.” He added, “Her once-in-a-lifetime sound has mesmerized audiences around the globe.”
In a tribute to SZA, Bren Joy performed “Broken Clocks,” and MaKenzie performed “Nobody Gets Me.”
The private event was hosted by BMI president & CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI vice president, creative, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton.
As previously announced, Babyface was named a BMI Icon at the ceremony. In accepting the award, Babyface said, “I only know that I got here because I love music, and it was the one pure thing that I knew that I could do, and I did it with all my heart. If you do it from the heart, that’s the main thing that keeps you going.”
He then surprised the audience with a performance of his 1990 smash “Whip Appeal.” Babyface and Perri McKissack co-wrote the song, which reached the top 10 on both the Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Babyface has collected 64 BMI Awards. He received BMI’s Song of the Year three times, BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year seven times and, together with his LaFace Records co-founder L.A. Reid, was named a BMI Icon in 2006.
Several artists paid tribute to Babyface by performing his songs. Mac Royals opened with “My My My,” followed by Tamar Braxton with “Superwoman” and Mario with “I’ll Make Love to You” and “Can We Talk.” Lil Wayne paid tribute to his mentor and friend before O’Neill and Brewton presented the Icon Award. O’Neill praised Babyface’s talent and impact on generations of music makers, and for being with the BMI family for nearly five decades.
Hitmaker Tay Keith received Producer of the Year for his work on hits such as “First Person Shooter” performed by Drake featuring J. Cole, “Meltdown” by Travis Scott featuring Drake, “SkeeYee” by Sexyy Red and “Circo Loco” by Drake and 21 Savage. This marks the third time Keith has been named Producer of the Year. (He was also named BMI’s R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter of the Year in 2018.)
Coleman, Dougie F, Metro Boomin, RIOTUSA and Jahaan Sweet were also named top producers during the ceremony.
Universal Music Publishing was named BMI’s R&B/Hip-Hop Publisher of the Year for representing 21 of the previous year’s most-performed songs, including “Kill Bill,” “Barbie World,” “Paint the Town Red,” “Players,” “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)” and “Snooze.”
Over the course of the ceremony, BMI recognized the top producers and songwriters of the previous year’s 35 Most-Performed R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in the U.S., naming 56 first-time winners.
To see a complete list of winners, visit BMI’s site.
Singer-songwriter John Oates will be feted for his contributions to the art of songwriting when he is honored with BMI‘s Troubadour Award on Sept. 16 in Nashville. The accolade recognizes a songwriter who has made “a profound impact on the creative community as their craft continues to set the pace for generations to follow,” according […]
Taylor Swift took pop songwriter of the year at the 2024 BMI Pop Awards, which were held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Tuesday (June 4).
Swift had a hand in writing 10 of BMI’s most-performed songs of 2023 – “Anti-Hero,” “Bejeweled,” “Cruel Summer,” “Karma,” “Lavender Haze,” “Maroon,” “Midnight Rain,” “Snow on the Beach,” “Vigilante Shit” and “You’re on Your Own, Kid.” Swift has received a total of 65 BMI Awards, including the BMI President’s Award in 2009.
On Nov. 10, 2023, Swift received her seventh Grammy nomination for song of the year for “Anti-Hero,” which enabled her to set a new record for the most nods in the category.
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Miley Cyrus, Gregory ‘Aldae’ Hein and Michael Pollack won the BMI Pop Award for song of the year for Cyrus’ megahit, “Flowers.” The smash entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 1 and remained there for eight nonconsecutive weeks. It won Grammys for record of the year and best pop solo performance on Feb. 4 (and was nominated for song of the year).
Sony Music Publishing received publisher of the year for the seventh year in a row. The company represented 34 of the previous year’s most performed songs, including “Anti-Hero,” “Barbie World,” “Eyes Closed,” “Flowers,” “Trustfall” and “Unholy.”
As previously announced, Benny Blanco, 36, received the BMI President’s Award. Blanco has won 55 BMI Awards, was named songwriter of the year four times, and won pop song of the year in 2013 for co-writing “Moves Like Jagger” performed by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera.
Blanco has received two Grammy nods for song of the year, for the Julia Michaels hit “Issues” and the Justin Bieber smash “Love Yourself.” Blanco has gone 0-11 at the Grammys over the years, so this BMI recognition was probably especially meaningful.
Blanco was presented with the award by BMI president and CEO Mike O’Neill, who praised the songwriter as an “unstoppable creative force who has shaped the sound of popular music.” Some of Blanco’s top collaborators, including Lil Dicky, John Janick, Blake Slatkin and Ed Sheeran, sent in video congratulatory messages. Sia then hit the stage to perform Rihanna’s 2012 hit “Diamonds,” which she co-wrote with Blanco.
On receiving the honor, Blanco said, “We have the best job in the world, and we are so thankful and lucky to be in this room. We have the opportunity to make things better through music and help people. We’re giving the soundtrack to peoples’ lives.”
Previous recipients of the BMI President’s Award include Luis Fonsi, Noel Gallagher, Ellie Goulding, Imagine Dragons, Jay Kay of Jamiroquai, Ludacris, P!nk, Willie Nelson, Pitbull, Taylor Swift, Brian Wilson, and Dwight Yoakam.
BMI celebrated 53 first-time Pop Award winners including Sabrina Carpenter (“Nonsense”), Ice Spice (“Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2”), Jelly Roll and Rob Ragosta (“Need a Favor”), Kamille (“I’m Good (Blue)”) and Stephen Sanchez (“Until I Found You”).
The private event was co-hosted by O’Neill and BMI vice president, creative, worldwide, Barbara Cane.
For the full list of 2024 honorees, visit https://www.bmi.com/award-shows/pop-2024/
Composer Ramin Djawadi is set to receive the BMI Icon Award at the 40th annual BMI Film, TV and Visual Media Awards on June 5 in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Emmy-winning composer will receive the accolade for his body of work across film, television and video games. The ceremony will also salute the composers of the previous year’s top-grossing films, top-rated primetime network television series, and highest-ranking cable and streamed media programs.
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The event will be hosted by BMI president and CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI vice president of creative, film, TV & visual media, Tracy McKnight.
Previous BMI Icon Award recipients include Terence Blanchard, Mychael Danna, Alexandre Desplat, Harry Gregson-Williams, James Newton Howard, Christopher Lennertz, Thomas Newman, Rachel Portman (PRS), Mike Post, Alan Silvestri, Brian Tyler and John Williams.
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Djawadi has received 15 BMI Awards for outstanding scores for films, cable TV programs and streamed media. He won back-to-back Primetime Emmy Awards in 2018-19 for outstanding music composition for a series (original dramatic score) for Game of Thrones. He has received five other Primetime Emmy nods for Game of Thrones, Prison Break, FlashForward and Westworld. In addition, Djawadi has received three Grammy nods.
“We’re excited to honor Ramin Djawadi and celebrate his outstanding musical achievements,” McKnight in a statement. “Ramin’s innovative compositions for films, TV shows, and video games have captivated audiences worldwide, exemplifying his remarkable range and talent.”
Djawadi collaborated with Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy on Amazon Prime’s Fallout and partnered with David Benioff and D.B. Weiss on the Netflix series 3 Body Problem.
Djawadi, 49, got his start by collaborating with Hans Zimmer on such films as Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Batman Begins. (Both composers were born in what was then known as West Germany.) Djawadi went on to score such films as Iron Man, Eternals, A Wrinkle in Time, Clash of the Titans, Pacific Rim and Blade:Trinity.
In addition, Djawadi, has composed music for several video games including “Medal of Honor,” “Gears of War 4” and “Gears 5.”
Kirk Franklin, Travis Greene and Tamela Mann tied for BMI’s Gospel Songwriter of the Year at the 2024 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, which were held at Flourish in Atlanta on Thursday March 28. Each songwriter wrote two of the most performed gospel songs of the year. Franklin was honored for “Bless Me” and “Kingdom,” Greene for “Finished” and “Tent Revival,” and Mann for “Finished” and “He Did It for Me.”
Franklin won a second award for “Kingdom,” which was named the BMI Gospel Song of the Year. Franklin cowrote the song with Jonathan Jay, Chandler Moore and Jacob Poole. The song, which was recorded by Maverick City Music X Kirk Franklin, won a Grammy for best gospel performance/song at the 65th annual Grammy Awards in February 2023.
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BMI’s Gospel Publisher of the Year went to Essential Music Publishing for the second year in a row.
Throughout the luncheon event, BMI saluted the Top 25 most-performed gospel songs of the previous year. The private ceremony was hosted by Mike O’Neill, BMI’s president & CEO, and Catherine Brewton, vice president, creative, Atlanta.
As previously announced, gospel legend and evangelist Dorinda Clark-Cole, of the acclaimed Clark Sisters, was honored as a Trailblazer of Gospel Music. Upon receiving the honor, Clark-Cole offered this advice for songwriters: “When you are at your lowest, that’s when God can get your greatest… keep writing, keep getting inspired by God because somebody is being blessed.”
Crystal Aikin, Tasha Page-Lockhart, Yolanda Adams, Lisa Knowles-Smith and Clark-Cole’s niece Kierra Sheard performed songs to fete Clark-Cole.
Jonathan McReynolds received the BMI Champion Award, the first time this accolade was presented at this ceremony. DOE, Tyree Miller, Darrel Walls and Jason Nelson sang tributes to McReynolds.
Tim Bowman, Jr., Kim Burrell and Faith City Music and Zacardi Cortez also performed at the event.
Gospel legend Dorinda Clark-Cole of The Clark Sisters will receive the Trailblazer of Gospel Award at the 2024 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards. The awards will be held at Flourish Atlanta on Thursday, March 28.
Jonathan McReynolds will receive the BMI Champion Award for his artistry and impact on gospel music, marking the first time this accolade has been presented at this ceremony.
The private event will be hosted by BMI president and CEO Mike O’Neill, and Catherine Brewton, BMI vice president, creative, Atlanta. Throughout the ceremony, BMI will recognize the songwriters, producers and music publishers of the past year’s 25 most-performed gospel songs in the U.S.
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“The Clark Sisters are among the legends of gospel, and Dorinda’s distinctive jazzy sound lends a unique brilliance to the group,” Brewton said in a statement. “I’m so proud to be honoring her work and highlighting the impact she’s made on the genre and community through her music and evangelism. We’re also paying tribute to one of the most incredible voices in gospel, Jonathan McReynolds, whose music is often referred to as ‘life’ songs, speaking to the hearts of all.”
Clark-Cole and McReynolds are both Grammy winners. With The Clark Sisters, Clark-Cole won two Grammys in 2008 – best traditional gospel album for Live – One Last Time and best gospel performance for “Blessed and Highly Favored.” Earlier this month, The Clark Sisters received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy. McReynolds won a Grammy for best gospel performance/song three years ago for “Movin’ On.”
Clark-Cole, known as the “Rose of Gospel Music,” is a singer-songwriter, talk-show host and evangelist. Born and raised in Detroit, Clark–Cole is the daughter of pioneering choral director Mattie Moss Clark. In addition to her two Grammys, Clark-Cole has won two GMA Dove Awards, three BMI Awards, 13 Stellar Gospel Music Awards and a Lady of Soul Award. The sisters’ lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy followed a James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award at the Stellar Awards in 2020. That same year, The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel biopic, produced by Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah, premiered on Lifetime to millions of viewers.
In addition to his Grammy, McReynolds has received four BMI Awards and was named BMI’s Gospel Songwriter of the Year in 2023. He has also been honored at the Stellar Awards and the GMA Dove Awards. He has had seven top five albums on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart, including two that reached No. 1: Life Music: Stage Two (2015) and Make Room (2018). He has also had 10 top 10 hits on Hot Gospel Songs, including “Movin’ On” (a collaboration with Mali Music) and “Not Lucky, I’m Loved.”
The CMA Awards may be rightfully billed as “Country Music’s Biggest Night,” but in terms of pure star power, the annual BMI Country Awards just might prove a close rival, as artists including Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Ashley McBryde, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, The War and Treaty, Cole Swindell, Kane Brown, Ronnie Dunn, Tyler Hubbard, Bailey Zimmerman, Chris Young, Charles Kelley, Dustin Lynch and Priscilla Block were all in attendance on Tuesday evening (Nov. 7), as the awards ceremony was held at BMI’s Nashville office.
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The evening began as BMI president/CEO Mike O’Neill addressed the elephant in the room — speculation over a potential private equity sale of BMI — by stating that no deal has been made.
“If we move in that direction, it will only be with a company that shares in our mission, which is to support your creative growth and grow our distribution. That is and will always be our number one priority. That will never change, no matter what happens,” O’Neill told the audience.
Additional BMI executives including BMI Nashville’s VP, Creative Clay Bradley and executive director, creative Shannon Sanders were on hand to honor BMI’s 50 most-performed country songs of the previous year, which included 27 first-time BMI Award winners.
Combs and Wallen shared the songwriter of the year accolade. Combs was honored for co-writing his own singles “Doin’ This,” “Going, Going, Gone,” “The Kind of Love We Make,” as well as Zac Brown Band’s “Out in the Middle.” Wallen co-wrote Keith Urban’s “Brown Eyes Baby,” Corey Kent’s “Wild as Her,” as well as his own “Thought You Should Know” and “You Proof.” Combs and Wallen surprised the audience by taking the stage together, and offered a twist on a typical performance by swapping songs, as Combs performed Wallen’s “Thought You Should Know” and Wallen returned the favor by performing Combs’s “Going, Going, Gone.”
Wallen’s “You Proof” was named the 2023 BMI country song of the year, published by Big Loud Mountain, Bo Wallace Publishing, Ern Dog Music, Songs of Universal, Inc., Sony/ATV Songs LLC and Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. BMI’s most-performed Country song of the year was written by Wallen, Ernest Keith Smith and Charlie Handsome.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. was named publisher of the year, for publishing 25 of the 50 most-performed songs of the year, including Hubbard’s “5 Foot 9,” Maren Morris’s “Circles Around This Town,” Thomas Rhett’s “Slow Down Summer,” Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange” and Zimmerman’s “Rock and a Hard Place.”
The awarding of the evening’s highest accolade provided some of the most heartfelt moments, as Matraca Berg was recognized with the BMI Icon Award. The BMI Icon Award has previously been awarded to songwriters including Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Brian Wilson, Carole King and Kris Kristofferson.
Berg’s BMI Icon Award is the latest in a career filled with prestigious honors, including the ACM Poet’s Award and induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Bradley called Berg “a trendsetter, a rulebreaker.”
Former BMI CEO Del Bryant signed Berg as a BMI affiliate at the beginning of her career; she earned her first No. 1 as a writer at just 18, when her collaboration with Bobby Braddock, “Faking Love,” became a No. 1 Billboard Country hit for T.G. Sheppard and Karen Brooks in 1983. Berg went on to be the go-to writer for numerous artists over the past four decades, a writer who can.
In 1996, she became the first woman to have five No. 1s in a single calendar year. Her ability to exquisitely detail the stories held closest to the heart, and deftly characterize an array of emotions, made Berg a go-to writer for many artists, but particularly many of the female artists whose music dominated country music in the 1990s. She is a writer and/or co-writer on hits recorded by Patty Loveless (“I’m That Kinda Girl,” “You Can Feel Bad”), Deana Carter (“Strawberry Wine,” “We Danced Anyway”), Reba McEntire (“The Last One to Know”), Martina McBride (“Wild Angels,” “Still Holding On”), Trisha Yearwood (“XXXs and OOOs (An American Girl),” “Wrong Side of Memphis,” “Everybody Knows,” “They Call It Falling”), The Chicks “(If I Fall You’re Going Down With Me”), Faith Hill (“You’re Still Here”) and more. Her songs have also garnered three best country song Grammy nominations, for the Kenny Chesney-Grace Potter duet “You and Tequila,” Carter’s “Strawberry Wine” and the Gretchen Wilson-recorded “I Don’t Feel Like Loving You Today.” She also released seven of her own albums along the way.
Prior to Berg accepting her honor Tuesday evening, video tributes were shown from Loveless and Yearwood, as well as songwriters and publishers who played essential roles in Berg’s career, including Dean Dillon, Bobby Braddock, Aimee Mayo, Pat Higdon, and Chris Farren.
Two of the artists indelibly influenced by Berg’s work — Lainey Wilson and Ashley McBryde — performed in her honor, with Wilson performing the CMA song of the year-winning hit “Strawberry Wine,” and McBryde performing “Wrong Side of Memphis.”
McBryde recalled that as she was preparing to move to Nashville, a friend gifted her with a copy of Berg’s 1997 album Sunday Morning to Saturday Night. “Thank you for setting the bar,” McBryde said.
Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter performed their 2010 Grammy-nominated hit “You and Tequila,” a song that proved a full-circle career moment for Berg, as she co-wrote it with Carter.
Chesney recalled being in Malibu when he heard “You and Tequila” for the first time, saying, “I went, ‘Wow, this song is going to maybe bring a lot of people together’ — and it brought me and the wonderful Grace Potter together…thank you Matraca, I love you.”
Berg thanked several of her co-writers, including “Wild Angels” co-writer Harry Stinson, her “You Can Feel Bad” co-writer Tim Krekel, and her “Strawberry Wine,” “Wrong Side of Memphis” and “Wild Angels” co-writer Gary Harrison. “There would be no me standing up here with out him,” she said of Harrison. She also thanked Carter, saying, “‘You and Tequila,’ we just go on and on, don’t we?” She also thanked music publishing exec Higdon, another early champion. “We started working together, I think I was 22 years old. Boy, you saw something in me.”
“I’ve been a BMI writer since right out of high school. It means so much, this honor,” Berg told the packed audience. “All I ever wanted to be was a songwriter.”