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Graham Lyle, best-known for co-writing the Tina Turner classic âWhatâs Love Got to Do With It,â will be presented with the BMI Icon Award at the 2024 BMI London Awards to be held on Dec. 9 at The Savoy in London. The private event will be hosted by BMI president & CEO Mike OâNeill.
âWhatâs Loveâ topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in 1984 and went on to win Grammys for record and song of the year. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2012. Lyle co-wrote the song with Terry Britten, who also produced Turnerâs single. Britten and Lyle later co-wrote two more big hits for Turner, both of which peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 â âWe Donât Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)â from the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and âTypical Male.â Thus, the team was responsible for three of Turnerâs six top 10 solo hits.
âWeâre very honoured to salute the incomparable songwriter Graham Lyle with the BMI Icon Award in celebration of a lifetime of timeless hit songs that deeply resonate with global audiences,â OâNeill said in a statement.
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The ceremony will also pay tribute to the British and European songwriters and publishers of the previous yearâs most performed songs on U.S. streaming, radio and television from BMIâs repertoire.
Many artists have revived âWhatâs Loveâ over the years. Rapper Warren G recorded a hip-hop version in 1996 featuring Adina Howard, which reached No. 32 on the Hot 100. The song was sampled in the hit âWhatâs Luv?â by Fat Joe featuring Ashanti, which reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 in 2002. Norwegian DJ/producer Kygo released a remix with Turner in 2020. Mickey Guyton sang it at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2021, when Turner was inducted as a solo artist.
Lyle began his professional journey as one of the first music creators to sign to The Beatlesâ Apple Company, alongside songwriter Benny Gallagher in the late 1960s. Together, the duo became founding members of the British rock band McGuinness Flint, and later joined forces to form Gallagher and Lyle, where they released eight albums and landed two Hot 100 hits in 1976, while signed to A&M Records â âI Wanna Stay with Youâ and âHeart on My Sleeve.â
In 1981, Lyle formed his own publishing company GOODSINGLE, LTD, to write for other artists. In addition to his longtime partnership with Turner, Lyle has also penned hits such as âJust Good Friendsâ by Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, âHold Me (Just a Little Longer Tonight)â by Etta James, âYouâre the Starâ by Rod Stewart and âWhen You Love Somebody (Iâm Saving My Love for You)â by Patti LaBelle.
Previous BMI Icons include Sting, Gary Kemp, Graham Gouldman, Sir Tim Rice, The Bee Gees, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Ray Davies, John Fogerty, David Foster, Peter Gabriel, the Jacksons, Carole King, Kris Kristofferson, Barry Manilow, Willie Nelson, Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton, Queen, Nile Rodgers, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Van Morrison and Brian Wilson.
Composer Christopher Lennertz will be named a BMI Icon at the 39th Annual BMI Film, TV and Visual Media Awards on May 10 in Beverly Hills, Calif. The two-time Emmy-nominated composer will receive BMIâs highest honor for his body of work across film, television and gaming.
In addition, the ceremony will celebrate the composers of the previous yearâs top-grossing films, top-rated primetime network television series and highest-ranking cable and streamed media programs. The event will be hosted by BMI president and CEO Mike OâNeill and BMI vice president, creative, film, TV & visual media, Tracy McKnight.
âWeâre thrilled to celebrate Christopher Lennertz and his tremendous musical accomplishments by presenting him the BMI Icon Award,â McKnight said in a statement. âHis compelling body of work, from blockbuster films to hit TV shows and gaming, highlights Christopherâs passion for all styles of music and has made him one of the industryâs most sought-after composers.â
Previous BMI Icon Award recipients include Terence Blanchard, Alexandre Desplat, James Newton Howard, Rachel Portman (PRS), Alan Silvestri, Brian Tyler and John Williams.
Lennertzâs eclectic body of work includes scoring such blockbusters as Horrible Bosses and Ride Along, as well as such TV shows as Amazonâs The Boys, cult-favorite Supernatural (which originated on The WB before being picked up by The CW) Netflixâs Lost in Space and Marvelâs Agent Carter. Lennertz is also one of the most in-demand composers in video games, having worked on hits like Medal of Honor and the Mass Effect series.
Lennertzâs recent works include arranging and conducting a large orchestra for a new version of Guns Nâ Roses âNovember Rain,â composing the score for Netflixâs coming-of-age drama 13: The Musical and producing, arranging and conducting Wondrous Journeys, Disneyâs new salute to 100 years of animation. He has also written songs with Glenn Slater for Kelly Clarkson, Janelle MonĂĄe and Lizzo. Coming up, Lennertzâs work on Marvelâs Rogers the Musical will come to life during the Disney100 celebration at the Disney California Adventure Park.
Lennert has received Emmy nominations for outstanding musical composition for a series for Supernatural (2006) and outstanding original music and lyrics for The Boys (2021). He collaborated with lyricist Michael Saltzman on the latter project. He has also received 20 BMI awards.
Furthermore, he has demonstrated his passion for education and philanthropy by serving on the board of Education Through Music-Los Angeles and Mr. Hollandâs Opus Foundation, as well as Hands Together Haiti. Lennertz also launched the Symphony of Hope project, a collaboration of more than 25 leading film and TV composers and dozens of musicians and vocalists joining together to rally the film music community in support of Haiti following the 2010 earthquake.
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