Veronica first made a musical debut with Vengo Con To, a CD produced by Roy Tavares and Kike Santander. Music comes naturally; her father, Artuto Aruca, had been a principal member of the Cuban rock band Los Dada. Born in Havana, Veronica moved to Miami and studied ballet for 12 years while successfully competing in local beauty pageants. After graduating from Florida International University with a major in psychology and a minor in business, she turned to acting and traveled to New York City to study at the famed Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.

Back home in Florida, she became a host for the Miami television entertainment magazine Miami Hoy, writing, producing and editing her own segments as she interviewed a roster of celebrities, ranging form Donald Trump to Marc Anthony. Mayra also starred in feature roles in PBS productions and independent films such as Tumbe, and appeared in nationwide Spanish-language ads for a wide array of companies, including Loreal, Ford, Colgate, Burger King, Coca Cola, and Allstate. She then landed the role on Univision’s Don Francisco Presenta.

Veronica has been working with stellar talents like Pitbull and Lil Jon to craft club-savvy tracks to match her celebrity image. And if her penchant for the sensational is any indication, it’s a project that will be sure to dazzle a worldwide legion of fans.

Celebrity judge DJ Toomp

The evening began with performances from showcase finalists Jarren Benton, Brandon Hines, Holly Weerd, and Trimm, all chosen by a group of top BMI songwriters, producers and industry executives from over 300 submissions. Trimm’s wow factor and lyrical delivery impressed the audience and the judges, who proclaimed him the winner of prizes including $1,500 cash; two tickets to the 2008 BMI Urban Awards; a Friends and Family deal courtesy of MySpace Records; two Gibson/Epiphone guitars; clothing from Konvict Clothing (Akon’s Co.), 8732 (Jeezy’s Co.), and Rowdy (Dallas Austin’s Co.) and much more.

Teyana Taylor

Headliners for the highly-anticipated night of music were Cash Money/Universal Records star Lil’ Wayne; hit-making wordsmith Sean Garrett, aka The Pen; and Star Trak/Interscope recording artist Teyana Taylor.

BMI President & CEO, Del Bryant and Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Catherine Brewton presented mega-producer Dallas Austin with the Legends of ATL Award, which recognizes a community leader for his or her contributions to the Atlanta music scene.

Sean Garrett

BMI Vice President Writer/Publisher Relations Catherine Brewton, Legends of Atlanta honoree Dallas Austin, and BMI President & CEO Del Bryant

Ciara and BMI President & CEO Del Bryant

Lil Jon

ELZ, showcase winner Trimm, BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Catherine Brewton, and HeadROC of Battery 5

Lil Wayne

BMI Icons are selected because of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” As BMI Icons, Daryl Hall & John Oates will join elite ranks that include the Bee Gees, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Ray Davies, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton.

The effervescent popularity of Daryl Hall and John Oates’s magical collaborations springs from the duo’s devout passion for Philly soul and buoyant pop harmonies. Warmly accessible and expertly polished, Daryl Hall & John Oates’s smooth production utilizes undeniable hooks and innate contemporary lyrical sensibility. The resulting eight no. 1 singles, three double-platinum and two platinum albums catapulted the pair into pop superstardom; in 1987, Daryl Hall & John Oates became the #1 selling duo in pop music, according to the RIAA. Skilled songwriters, Daryl Hall & John Oates are both members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, together boasting 24 BMI Pop Awards and a catalog studded with 14 BMI Million-Air award songs, including “She’s Gone,” “Everytime You Go Away,” “Kiss On My List,” “Maneater” and “Sara Smile.” They have prompted a surge of interest and homage from a diverse bevy of new artists, who cite the pair as definitive influences. Restless creators, Daryl Hall & John Oates have spent much of the last decade touring throughout the world.

In addition to the Icon, BMI will recognize Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year during the evening, along with the recipient of the BMI Foundation’s John Lennon Scholarship. Pop Award winners from previous years include Maroon 5, R. Kelly, Nickelback, 3 Doors Down, Pharrell Williams, Michelle Branch, Lil Jon, the Foo Fighters, Linkin Park and Sheryl Crow.

In 2004, Mario saw his breakthrough with “Let Me Love You,” a sultry Ne-Yo penned track that remained at the No. 1 Billboard spot for nine weeks. Mario might have seemed like an overnight star, yet his coup was far from sudden. Like many stars, Mario had been grooming himself for the big time since he was a child.

Growing up in and around Baltimore, Mario dreamed of being a recording artist as early as four. His mother bought him a karaoke machine. He learned piano. At 11, Mario got discovered; he sang Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love to You” at a talent show held at a local college. By 14, Mario had signed a deal with Clive Davis’ J Records. He contributed “Tameeka,” with rapper Fabolous, to the Dr. Dolittle 2 soundtrack in 2001. Not long after, he sang Stevie Wonder’s “You and I” at Clive Davis’s coveted Grammy party — a rendition guests at the event still call captivating. He got to work on a debut album.

Mario, his first album, introduced his arrival. Lead single “Just a Friend 2002,” an up-tempo, teen-pop jam, used elements from the Biz Markie classic. Naturally, the single struck a chord with young adults. By his 16th birthday, Mario was on the road, wooing young ladies (and likely some of their adult parents) as part of the Scream III Tour. His debut album went gold.

Mario’s overall debut — the single, the album sales, the tour — was certainly impressive, but his follow-up was even better. Turning Point, his second album, was aptly titled, considering “Let Me Love You” broke Mario out of the teen-pop ghetto and into the adult big time. Some reviewers compared the song to vintage Michael Jackson, and it became a chart-topper in Europe as well as the States. Although “Let Me Love You” was the album’s shimmering diamond, the compilation featured more well-received songs and production from studio stars including Scott Storch and Lil Jon. Nevertheless, the point had been made: Turning Point went platinum. Mario had become one to watch both metaphorically and literally; movie roles in Step Up and Freedom Writers followed.

In October, Mario will release his third album, Go!, with an A-list roster of contributors. Jermaine Dupri, Ne-Yo, Alicia Keys, The Neptunes and Akon are just a few of the big names on board, all but guaranteeing that the much-anticipated project will be a blockbuster. It could in fact be the project that completes Mario’s career trajectory: from child phenom to teen sensation; bona fide star to household name.

T.I., Ne-Yo and Mr. ColliPark each earned Songwriter of the Year titles, “Check On It” secured Song of the Year honors for co-writers Slim Thug and Sean Garrett, and a special presentation officially recognized legendary MC Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons of Run DMC as the newest BMI Icon.

Song List: BMI Award Winners

The night’s other big winners included Pharrell Williams, who earned the Producer of the Year title; EMI Music Publishing, named Urban Publisher of the Year; and T-Pain’s “I’m N Luv (Wit A Stripper),” which nabbed the BMI Urban Ringtone Award. Executives from music trade magazine Billboard were also on hand to give out No. 1 Awards to the BMI songs that reached the top spot on its urban music charts.

T.I., Ne-Yo and Mr. ColliPark each composed four songs on BMI’s most-performed list, and all three of the hitmakers acquired their first BMI Songwriter of the Year crowns. T.I. co-wrote hits “My Love” and “What You Know,” along with Lil' C’s “Shoulder Lean” and Nelly’s “Grillz”; Ne-Yo co-penned Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable” and his own “Sexy Love,” “So Sick” and “When You’re Mad”; and Mr. ColliPark co-wrote the Ying Yang Twins’ “Badd,” Diddy’s “Come to Me,” Bubba Sparxxx’s “Ms. New Booty” and David Banner’s “Play.”

Slim Thug and Sean Garrett’s “Check On It” earned Song of the Year. Published by Publisher of the Year EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc., “Check On It” was recorded by Beyoncé and featured the vocal stylings of co-writer Slim Thug.

As one third of Run-DMC, Rev Run helped change the sound of rap by simultaneously being more street and rock & roll than his contemporaries. From the boom-box classic single “Sucker MCs” (1983) to their standard-setting discs Run-DMC, King of Rock, Raising Hell and Tougher Than Leather, Run-DMC defined a new level of cool for the world. Dressed in their trademark black hats and outfits to match, Run-DMC stayed at the top of the pop charts for most of the ’80s and knocked open the doors to commercial freedom for the rap generation. A multi-media star — he stars in his own television show, Run’s House — Rev Run continues to create music, having just released his CD Distortion on the Russell Simmons Music Group (RSMG).

Pharrell Williams earned his third BMI Producer of the Year title for logging the most producer credits on charting songs. The BMI Top Urban Producers list also included Rodney Jerkins, Polow Da Don, Jazze Pha, Kanye West, will.i.am, Lil Jon, Sean Garrett and T-Pain.

EMI Music Publishing was named BMI Urban Publisher of the Year by scoring the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs. The publishing giant’s hits included chart toppers “Irreplaceable,” “Déjà Vu,” “Money Maker,” “Snap Yo Fingers” and more.

“I’m N Luv (Wit A Stripper),” co-written and performed by BMI Top Urban Producer T-Pain and Mike Jones and published by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. and Zomba Songs, received the BMI Urban Ringtone Award for tallying the most downloads during the award period.

In addition to the BMI performance awards, Billboard recognized the BMI-affiliated writers whose songs reached No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Rap Tracks, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Hot 100 charts during the past year.

BMI Icons are selected because of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” The Bee Gees join an elite list that includes Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, James Brown, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton, to name just a few.

Collectively, Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb boast 109 BMI Pop, Country and Latin Awards. Barry received four BMI Songwriter of the Year awards; Robin shared two of these with him. The trio claims four BMI Song of the Year wins for “Night Fever,” “Too Much Heaven” and the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton duet “Islands in the Stream,” which won in both the pop and country categories. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members have earned international industry accolades, including the prestigious Grammy “Legend” Award. Maurice Gibb’s passing in 2003 led to the Gibbs’ decision to cease performing as the Bee Gees, but their music lives on, enriching generation after generation.

In addition to the Icon, BMI will recognize Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year during the evening, along with the recipient of the BMI Foundation’s John Lennon Scholarship. Pop Award winners from previous years include Maroon 5, R. Kelly, Nickelback, 3 Doors Down, Pharrell Williams, Michelle Branch, Lil Jon, the Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, and Sheryl Crow.

BMI and the Los Angeles Times will present “How I Wrote That Song,” a panel discussion with some of music’s most successful songwriters. The panel will be held Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. at the Key Club (9039 Sunset Blvd.) in Los Angeles in celebration of Grammy Week. Tickets are $10 and are on sale now through Ticketmaster at KeyClub.com, or at the Key Club box office.

Scheduled to participate are top BMI songwriting talents including Cee-Lo (Gnarls Barkley), Dallas Austin, Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), Sean Garrett, Kara DioGuardi, Butch Walker and Jeffrey Steele. The panel will be moderated by BMI Writer/Publisher Relations VP Catherine Brewton and Los Angeles Times music critic Ann Powers. Attendees can expect an inside look at the creative process, featuring performances of hit songs by each panelist and a Q&A session on the business of songwriting and music.

Panelists:

As lead singer and frontman for the breakout group Gnarls Barkley, Cee-Lo continues to bring his American hip-hop, funk, soul and r&b style to the world. He is a singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer, best known as a member of Goodie Mob before Gnarls Barkley, and has also recorded two critically acclaimed solo LPs. His successes as a songwriter and producer also include the 2005 hit “Don’t Cha” by The Pussycat Dolls, as well as tracks and guest appearances on upcoming releases from Kelis and Amerie.

At the age of 35, Grammy Award-winning hitmaker Dallas Austin is one of the most sought-after producers in the entertainment business. His creativity and innovative style have shaped the sound of today’s pop and r&b music. He has had the opportunity to work with such legendary stars as Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Usher, Pink, Shakira, Janet Jackson and Gwen Stefani. In 2002, he began a foray into film serving as the executive producer and musical director of the hit Drumline, and then as a producer and composer for ATL. He was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame last fall, an honor he received alongside R.E.M., Jermaine Dupri and Gregg Allman.

Patrick Stump is lead vocalist and guitarist for Grammy-nominated band Fall Out Boy, an American pop-rock band from Wilmetter, Ill. Stump and band members Pete Wentz, Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley released their 2005 major label debut and third full-length album, From Under the Cork Tree, which went double platinum. Their first single, “Sugar We’re Goin’ Down,” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and reached No. 1 on MTV’s TRL. The video also won the MTV2 Award at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. A 2006 “Best New Artist” Grammy nominee, Fall Out Boy’s next album, Infinity on High, is scheduled for release on Feb. 6. The lead single, “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race,” debuted at the 2006 American Music Awards.

Sean Garrett got his start after college as a mortgage broker. After the loss of his mother, he realized his heart was in music and he turned his passion of songwriting into his profession. Nicknamed “The Pen” by Jay-Z, the four-time Grammy Award nominee earned the moniker by having three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two consecutive weeks and helping to ink a majority of Destiny’s Child’s last album, Destiny Fulfilled. He’s responsible for smash singles like Chris Brown‘s “Run It,” Ciara’s “Goodies” and Usher’s “Yeah,” Garrett’s biggest composition to date. Upcoming projects slated for 2007 include works from Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani and Cassidy.

Kara DioGuardi is a Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur. She has had charting singles with a variety of artists, including Christina Aguilera ("Aint No Other Man"), Gwen Stefani ("Rich Girl"), Ashley Simpson ("Pieces Of Me"), Kelly Clarkson ("Walk Away"), Pussy Cat Dolls ("Beep"), Enrique Iglesias ("Escape") and Hilary Duff ("Come Clean"). Kara’s collaborators include Lil Jon, Danja, Dr. Dre, Jon Shanks, Glen Ballard, Scott Storch, Polow, Matt Serletic and will.i.am. She has new releases on albums by Katharine McPhee, Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff, Taylor Hicks, Nicole of Pussycat Dolls, Britney Spears, Daddy Yankee and Ashley Tisdale. Kara is also co-owner of Arthouse Entertainment, which was ranked the No. 7 music publishing company of 2006 by Billboard/Nielsen.

Hitmakers fill Nashville’s publishing houses, churning out the twangy sing-alongs that blanket country airwaves. Standing out in such a talented community can’t possibly be as easy as songwriter, artist and producer Jeffrey Steele makes it look. Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes, Montgomery Gentry, Gretchen Wilson, Pat Green, Trace Adkins, Tim McGraw and numerous others have all turned to Steele for a hit or two, a list that covers a virtual “who’s who” of contemporary country’s elite who have wisely come to trust the energetic songwriter with the easy, infectious grin. Steele’s own impassioned performances make him a constant favorite at songwriter festivals and his full-band gigs, where his rugged, boisterous vocals breathe new life both into songs made famous by the stars and other tunes that are patently his. The 2003 BMI Songwriter of the Year’s new album, Hell on Wheels (February 2007), showcases some of those patented Steele tunes, thrusting Jeffrey Steele the artist into a deserved spotlight.

Butch Walker is a recording artist, performer, songwriter and record producer. He formed the popular pop-rock band Marvelous 3, which spawned the hit “Freak of the Week.” Butch then began a solo career in 2000, releasing the albums Left of Self-Centered in 2002 and Letters in 2004, finishing 2005 playing over 200 live shows across both the U.S. and Japan. Several of his songs have been hits for other artists, including Bowling for Soup’s “Girl All the Bad Guys Want.” He has written and produced records for such artists as Pink, Simple Plan, Sevendust and the All-American Rejects. He also co-wrote the song “My Happy Ending” with Avril Lavigne. Walker was named Rolling Stone Producer of the Year in 2005, and having served as a judge on the reality TV series “Rock Star,” he was the producer for the new “Rockstar: Supernova” group.

About the Los Angeles Times:

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country, with a daily readership of nearly 2.2 million and about 3.3 million on Sunday. The Los Angeles Times and its media businesses and affiliates, including latimes.com, TheEnvelope.com, Times Community Newspapers, Recycler Classifieds, Hoy, and California Community News, are read by approximately 8.1 million-or 62% of all adults in the Southern California marketplace-every week.

The Los Angeles Times has been covering Southern California for over 125 years and is part of Tribune Company (NYSE: TRB), one of the country’s leading media companies with businesses in publishing, the Internet and broadcasting. Additional information about the Los Angeles Times is available at www.latimes.com/mediacenter.

Michael Crooms, Collipark’s real name, moved to Atlanta at the age of five and grew up to become one of the most popular DJs in that city, using the pseudonym DJ Smurf.

When Collipark began producing, it was during a time when a type of hip-hop known as “Miami bass” was popular.

However Mr. Collipark, who was now going by yet another pseudonym, Beat-in-Azz, began noticing the popularity of another type of hip-hop sound growing rapidly in the South. Changing his name once again to the more professional sounding Mr. Collipark, he and rapper Lil Jon began to shape this new genre known as “crunk.”
The hit-making producer penned the now infamous “to the windows, to the walls” lyrics from Lil Jon’s smash hit “Get Low,” as well as “Whistle While You Twurk” and “The Whisper Song,” both by the Ying Yang Twins. This forged a Ying Yang/Collipark collaboration that has become a strong force in hip-hop culture.

The trance-like beats Collipark is known for, coupled with the talented artists he works with, has become a formula for making successful tracks. His firm stance against making music that sounds like everyone else’s and his belief in taking creative risks is what really pays off, ensuring Mr. Collipark’s long-term success.]]> 2006-10-15T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334966 Babyface, Bee Gees, The, Boyz II Men, Braxton, Toni, Brown, Chris, Bryant, Del, Carey, Mariah, Charles, Ray, Clapton, Eric, Cool & Dre, Foxx, Jamie, Game, The, Garrett, Sean, Jackson, Michael, Jazze Pha, Jerkins, Rodney, Kelly, R., Lil Jon, Mr. Collipark, Pink, Pretty Ricky, Trick Daddy, Usher1, West, Kanye, Williams, Pharrell, Urban, BMI Urban Awards

	BMI Urban Awards Photo Slideshow
	BMI Urban Awards Song List
	Billboard No. 1s

Mariah Carey took home two of the night's top honors, including Song of the Year for her smash "We Belong Together" and Songwriter of the Year, which she shared with Miami-based producers Bigg D and Jim Jonsin. A highlight of the gala event was a special presentation to prolific songwriting and production team Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Antonio "L.A." Reid, who were named BMI Icons for their "enduring influence on generations of music makers."

Mariah Carey	Babyface	L.A. Reid

Other big winners included rapper Kanye West, who earned the Producer of the Year title for the second consecutive year; Warner/Chappell Music Group, named Urban Publisher of the Year; and Jazze Pha's "1, 2 Step," which nabbed the BMI Urban Ringtone Award. Executives from music trade magazine Billboard were also on hand to give out No. 1 Awards to the BMI songs that reached the top spot on its urban music charts.

Bigg D	Jim Jonsin

Song of the Year "We Belong Together," which Carey co-wrote, ruled the top of multiple charts for months after its release in 2005, relaunching the five-octave singer's career back into superstardom. BMI writers Darnell Bristol, Sid "Uncle Jamz" Johnson, Patrick Moten, Sandra Sully, Bobby Womack and BMI Icon Babyface were also recognized with the Urban Awards' top song prize, as were the song's publishers - ABKCO, Ballads by Design, Hip Chic Music, Mister Johnson's Jams Music, Rye Songs, Songs of Universal, Sony/ATV and Warner-Tamerlane.

Kanye West	Jazze Pha

As the best-selling female performer of the 1990s, Carey stood apart by composing all her own material, and was twice before named Songwriter of the Year (1993 and 1999). She takes the top songwriter prize for the third time this year by placing three of her own hits on the most-performed list - "Don't Forget About Us," "Shake It Off" and "We Belong Together" - all from last year's comeback release, The Emancipation of Mimi. Carey, who also wrote 1992's Pop Song of the Year, "Love Takes Time," has a total of 23 BMI Awards and 15 "Million-Air" songs that have had one million or more broadcast performances.

Sharing the Urban Songwriter of the Year spotlight were producers Bigg D and Jim Jonsin, who also had three songs on the most-played list with the co-writes "Let's Go" by Trick Daddy (featuring Lil Jon & Twista), and Pretty Ricky's "Grind With Me" and "Your Body." Formerly known as the Unusual Suspects, this Dirty South production duo has been cranking out the hits, LPs, soundtracks and re-mixes for such heavy-hitters as Trick Daddy, Pretty Ricky, Trina, Jacki-O, Cee-Lo and Pitbull since 2000.

Multiple Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producers Babyface and L.A. Reid then took the stage to accept their BMI Icon honors. As co-founders of LaFace, the record label they started in 1989, the longtime writing partners are responsible for launching the careers of such multi-platinum artists as Toni Braxton, TLC, Usher and Pink. With a vast catalog of hits recorded by such A-listers as Madonna, Mary J. Blige, Celine Dion, Eric Clapton, Boyz II Men, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Outkast, Dido, Ciara, Jay-Z and Songwriter of the Year Mariah Carey, songs penned by Babyface and L.A. have accumulated more than 40 million airplays on American radio and television.

In addition to his behind-the-scenes talent, Babyface has enjoyed his own success as a recording artist, with 11 albums that have produced more than 15 Top 10 hits. He has been named BMI Songwriter of the Year a record seven times (90, 91, 92, 95, 96, 97, 98), more than any other pop writer in the history of the company. They add to the more than 50 BMI Awards displayed on his trophy shelf, which now features his first Urban Award and his third Song of the Year Crystal received tonight as co-writer of "We Belong Together." His other Song of the Year awards include Toni Braxton's "Breathe Again" (1995) and Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You" (1996). This year's top song win ties him with the Bee Gees as writer of the most Pop Songs of the Year.

With his exceptional ability to spot and develop new talent, L.A. Reid is currently Chairman of the Island Def Jam Music Group. He also served as President & CEO of Arista Records from 2000 to 2004, and is president of his own publishing company, Hitco Music, which tonight earned a pair of BMI Urban Awards for the Chris Brown smash "Run It!" and Fantasia's No. 1 hit "Truth Is." The 18-time BMI Award-winning hitmaker, who in 1990 shared the Pop Songwriter of the Year spotlight with fellow BMI Icon Babyface, most recently guided the release of Mariah Carey's Mimi CD, the mega-selling album that spawned this year's Song of the Year.

BMI Producer of the Year honors went to Kanye West for the second year in a row for logging the most producer credits on charting songs. The BMI Top Urban Producers list also included Mr. Collipark, Pharrell Williams, Lil Jon, R. Kelly, Sean Garrett, Jazze Pha, Cool & Dre, Rodney Jerkins, and Songwriters of the Year Bigg D and Jim Jonsin.

Top producers Sean Garrett, Lil Jon and Andre "Dre" Lyon also made the list of double winners, picking up two BMI Urban Awards apiece, as did The Game and Pretty Ricky members Marcus "Pleasure" Cooper, Corey "Slick'Em" Mathis, Diamond "Baby Blue" Smith, Joseph "Blue" Smith and Spectacular Smith.

Warner/Chappell Music Group was named BMI Urban Publisher of the Year by scoring the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs (through its companies Unichappell Music, Inc. and Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.). This is the twelfth BMI Publisher Crystal for Warner/Chappell, which boasted eight songs on the most-performed list, including Song of the Year "We Belong Together" and Ringtone Award winner "1, 2 Step."

Other publishers recognized for multiple award-winning songs were Black Boy Hatchet Music, Dade Co. Project Music, Inc., Dimensional Songs of the Knoll, EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc., Ensign Music LLC, Hitco Music, Jimi Mac Music/OG Music, Rye Songs, Songs of TVT, Sony/ATV Songs LLC, Universal Music Publishing (Irving Music/Songs of Universal, Inc.) and Zomba Songs.

"1, 2 Step," written by BMI Top 10 Urban Producer Jazze Pha and published by Bubba Gee Music, Noontime Tunes and Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., received the BMI Urban Ringtone Award for tallying the most downloads during the award period. The Ciara hit was also named BMI's very first Internet Song of the Year at the 2006 Pop Awards.

In addition to the BMI performance awards, Billboard recognized the BMI-affiliated writers whose songs reached No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Rap Tracks, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Hot 100 charts during the past year. Kanye West's "Gold Digger," featuring Jamie Foxx and writing credits by Renald Richard and the late Ray Charles, topped all four charts.]]> 2006-08-30T05:00:00-05:00