Late BMI Icon Michael Jackson received Male Artist honors in the Pop-Rock and Soul-R&B categories, as well as Album wins in both of the preceding genres for the top-selling Number Ones. International trendsetters the Black Eyed Peas earned Pop-Rock and Soul-R&B Band, Duo or Group honors, while top-shelf musician, singer and songwriter Keith Urban took home the Country Male Artist prize and perennial fan favorites Rascal Flatts walked away with the well-earned Country Band, Duo or Group crown. The Twilight Soundtrack was named top Soundtrack Album, and auspicious country quartet Gloriana claimed the T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist Award.

For a complete list of the 2009 American Music Awards winners and more, please click here.

2009 BMI American Music Awards Winners

Artist of the Year
Taylor Swift

Pop-Rock

Male artist
Michael Jackson

Female artist
Taylor Swift

Band, duo or group
Black Eyed Peas

Album
Michael Jackson, Number Ones

Soul-R&B

Male artist
Michael Jackson

Band, duo or group
Black Eyed Peas

Album
Michael Jackson, Number Ones

Country

Male artist
Keith Urban

Female artist
Taylor Swift

Band, duo or group
Rascal Flatts

Album
Taylor Swift, Fearless

Other

Adult Contemporary
Taylor Swift

Soundtrack Album
Twilight Soundtrack

T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist Award
Gloriana

The Student Composer Awards were established in 1951 to encourage young composers in the creation of serious music, and, through cash prizes, to aid in continuing their musical education. Celebrated composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich serves as the Awards Chair; Milton Babbitt is the Chair Emeritus. Composer luminaries such as William Bolcom, George Crumb, Mario Davidovsky, Philip Glass, John Harbison, Aaron Jay Kernis, Donald Martino, Steven Mackey, Christopher Rouse, Joseph Schwantner, Michael Torke and Charles Wuorinen received their earliest recognition through this program.

There are no limitations as to instrumentation, style or length of work submitted. The prizes, which range from $500 to $5,000, are awarded at the discretion of the final judging panel and compositions are judged completely under pseudonyms. Official rules and entry forms are available at bmifoundation.org.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance, and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, over 95% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.

With songs performed by the songwriters who wrote them, the concert is scheduled for December 8 at the Little Flower Theatre. Tickets may be charged through www.alumniandfriends.org; additional information is available at 212-595-1301.

For their final project, each participant composed a cue to a well-known film, which was then recorded by an ensemble consisting of prominent, top-notch New York recording artists. A year following the workshop, regular meetings will be held with the participants, to monitor, advise, and continue their development as film composers.

Attended by several prominent members of Congress, including House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), the Expo included a panel discussion focusing on “Copyright, Innovation and the New Consumer Experience,” which featured comments from House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX).

Exhibitors at the Expo included BMI, the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the Graphic Artists Guild, the Entertainment software Association and the Recording Industry of America (RIAA), among others.

Margot MacDonald performs in the Copyright Alliance "Coffee Shop," accompanied by Jonathan Ifergan of Chicago band Color Radio. The Coffee Shop was part of the Copyright Alliance Expo held recently in D.C.

In addition to exhibitor booths, The Expo also featured a central “coffee shop,” where D.C.-area BMI songwriter/artist Margot MacDonald, accompanied by Chicago-based Jonathan Ifergan, performed several of her compositions to an enthusiastic audience.

On November 16, a delegation of emerging artists in The Copyright Alliance’s network of creators delivered to the White House a letter signed by more than 11,000 artists nationwide. The letter asks President Obama and Vice President Biden to pursue policies supportive of artists’ rights. 

“On behalf of more than 11,000 creators of all kinds and from all 50 states, we are honored to deliver this letter, which simply asks that the Administration remember the importance of creators to our culture and our economy,” said Lucinda Dugger, Director of Outreach Initiatives.

In addition to MacDonald and Ifergan, the delegation included Chad Cameron, an illustrator from San Francisco; and Natalie Neckyfarow, an actress from Charlotte currently living and working in New York City. 

The artists met with key personnel on technology and the arts in the White House Office of Public Engagement.

Visit the Copyright Alliance to read more about this event and other key copyright initiatives.

The competition calls for praise and worship songs in the same anthemic vein as "My Savior, My God” and “God of Wonders,” created for use in church services.

The grand prize winner will receive free registration to GMA’s Immerse event in July 2010; an automatic semi-final place in the Immerse song contest; a single-song publishing agreement with Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing; a CD stack from Christian music’s top names; and the opportunity to be featured on a worship compilation CD from Great Worship Songs. Two runners-up will also win free registration to CMA Immerse and the collection of Christian music albums.

Entries will be judged by an industry panel comprising Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing’s staff, a perennially recognized force in the Christian music industry who works with top-flight Christian artists and songwriters including Jars of Clay, Fred Hammond, Aaron Shust, Pillar, Laura Story, Bebo Norman, and Dove Award-winning producer Ian Eskelin.

Panelists will critique every submission, providing detailed and professional feedback to all entrants.

Songs must be received by Monday, December 21 at 5:30 p.m. CST.
A $25 per song entry fee will be due at the time of submission, and songs should not exceed 4 minutes and 30 seconds in length.

To download the GreatWorshipSongs.com Contest entry form, click here.

For more information about the contest, click here.

Established in 1972, the Woody Guthrie Foundation is a non-profit organization that serves as administrator and caretaker of the Woody Guthrie Archives. Dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of information about Woody Guthrie's vast cultural legacy, the Woody Guthrie Archives houses the largest collection of Woody Guthrie material in the world. Since it's opening in 1996, the Woody Guthrie Archives have been a major success, becoming an important resource for the general public, musicians, singers, songwriters, scholars, and public and private cultural institutions wishing to access the research collection. More information on the Woody Guthrie Archives and Foundation may be found at www.woodyguthrie.org.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, more than 97% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.

According to Porfirio Piña, Director of the competition, the program is open to students between the ages of 16 and 24 who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States and Puerto Rico. All words and music must be original. The postmark deadline for entries is February 8, 2010. Competition rules and applications are available online at www.bmifoundation.org.

Founded by Ralph S. Peer in 1928, peermusic is a global network of music publishing companies operating from 33 offices in 27 countries, with well over a quarter of a million titles in the company's catalog, and songs that vary from country, blues, jazz and pop to Latin, concert and rock & roll.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance, and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, over 95% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.

For more information and to apply for this scholarship, visit the 2010 peermusic Latin Scholarship page.

Alongside artist and industry peers, Swift accepted her trophies in front of a sold-out crowd at the Sommet Center in downtown Nashville.

2008 New Artist of the Year winners Lady Antebellum earned two awards: Vocal Group and Single of the Year for “I Run to You.” Sugarland earned their third consecutive Vocal Duo of the Year title, further underscoring the pair’s staying power. With co-writers Lee Thomas Miller and James Otto, Jamey Johnson picked up his second Song of the Year trophy for “In Color.” The idea for the critically acclaimed song actually took root after a conversation between Miller and BMI Icon Bill Anderson at the BMI Country Awards a couple of years ago. Keith Urban didn’t go home empty handed, either: He shares Musical Event of the Year honors with Brad Paisley for “Start a Band.”

Multiple nominees the Zac Brown Band delivered a scorching rendition of “Devil Went Down to Georgia,” while additional performances by Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Jamey Johnson with Kid Rock, Jason Aldean, Daughtry featuring Vince Gill, Martina McBride, and the show’s co-host Carrie Underwood created a rousing night of contemporary country’s best.

For a complete list of winners and more information, please visit www.cmaawards.com.

2009 BMI CMA Award Winners

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady Antebellum

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Sugarland

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Artist and Producer)

Fearless
Taylor Swift
Produced by Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift
Big Machine Records

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Artist and Producer)

"I Run To You"
Lady Antebellum
Capitol Records Nashville

SONG OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Songwriter(s))

"In Color"
Written by Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller and James Otto

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to each Artist)

"Start a Band"
Featuring Keith Urban
Arista Nashville

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Artist and Director)

"Love Story"
Taylor Swift

BMI, House of Blues, Recording Academy Los Angeles, NocheLatina.com and SunTrust Bank played host to an evening of rich Latin sounds on Wednesday, November 4 at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Hosted by Cucu Diamantes (co-writer of Best Alternative Song nominee, “Mas Fuerte”), the evening featured performances by 2009 Latin Grammy nominees Luz Rios (nominee for Best New Artist & Best Female Pop Vocal Album, Aire), Espinoza Paz (Best Regional Mexican Song nominee, “Espero”), Jorge Villamizar (Best Tropical Song winner and Song of The Year nominee, “Yo No Se Manana,” co-written by Jorge Luis Piloto, from Ciclos), Jimena Angel (Best Female Pop Vocal Album nominee, Día Azul), Darey Castro of Dareyes De La Sierra (Best Banda Album nominee, Una Copa Mas), and special guest Alex Cuba.

Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of a BMI Latin Award to Mario Quintero for writing “Sólo Jugaste,” recorded by Tucanes de Tijuana. Quintero was also nominated for Best Regional Mexican Song for “Se Fue Mi Amore,” also recorded by Tucanes de Tijuana.