BMI Awards
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BMI is set to present ZZ Top‘s Billy F Gibbons with the Troubadour Award on Monday, Sept. 18, during a private reception at BMI’s Nashville office.
While Gibbons is also known as a premier guitarist and entertainer through his musical accomplishments, including his work as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band ZZ Top, this accolade honors his songwriting work, as a composer who has “made a profound impact on the creative community as their craft continues to set the pace for generations to follow,” according to a press release.
As the chief songwriter for ZZ Top, Gibbons’ writing credits include “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” “Cheap Sunglasses” and “La Grange,” the lead single from the band’s Tres Hombres album, which garnered them mainstream success 50 years ago.
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“With a career spanning several decades, Billy has penned an array of timeless hits that have left an indelible mark on the music industry,” Clay Bradley, BMI’s vp of creative, Nashville, said in a statement. “His ability to craft lyrics that resonate with audiences across generations is a testament to his songwriting prowess and he is the epitome of what the BMI Troubadour Award represents.”
Previous Troubadour Award recipients have included John Hiatt, John Prine, Robert Earl Keen and Lucinda Williams.
Over the years, ZZ Top earned two top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: “Legs” in 1984 and “Sleeping Bag” in 1985. The group also earned six No. 1 hits on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.
In 2002, the album Sharp Dressed Man: A Tribute to ZZ Top reached No. 7 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart. The project featured covers from artists including Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson and Willie Nelson.
Khalid is set to receive the BMI Champion Award at the 71st annual BMI Pop Awards. The private event, hosted by BMI president and CEO Mike O’Neill and vice president worldwide creative Barbara Cane, will be held on Tuesday, May 9, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.
“Khalid exemplifies the true spirit of a champion as one who believes, one who does and one who generously gives back,” Cane said in a statement. “In addition to recognizing him for his many creative accomplishments, we’re honoring Khalid for his dedication to charitable causes, community, education, and his commitment to supporting the next generation of songwriters and music makers.”
Khalid has received 20 BMI Awards, including being named 2019 BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year. His smash “Talk” from his sophomore album Free Spirit was named 2019 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year.
In addition, he has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards and has won six Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards and an MTV Video Music Award.
Previous BMI Champion Award recipients include Keith Urban, Mark Ronson, Residente, Sebastian Krys and Lee Thomas Miller.
BMI’s Pop Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Publisher of the Year and BMI’s top 50 most-performed pop songs in the U.S. of the previous year will also be celebrated at the event.
Khalid, alongside his mother, created The Great Khalid Foundation in 2020 to bridge education, innovation and music. The foundation offers music education programs, scholarship awards, community partnerships and gift giveaways to support and nurture children.