The Black Eyed Peas have sold 18 million albums worldwide, won three Grammy awards and have been nominated for ten. On his own, will.i.am has established himself as one of music’s top producers, collaborating on tracks with Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Kelis, Nas, The Game, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Sergio Mendes, Carlos Santana, The Pussycat Dolls, Busta Rhymes and fellow BEP, Fergie.

The sisters have a reality program on Mun2 and are currently wrapping up their debut album with songwriter, producer and mentor Ron Fair (Christina Aguilera, Vanessa Carlton, Mýa, The Black Eyed Peas, The Pussycat Dolls). The girls’ debut single, “Rock Star,” was the lead track from last year’s Bratz motion picture soundtrack (Geffen Records).

Hailing from Rosemead, CA, Prima J were discovered while performing choreography for r&b recording artist Nikki Flores, and were introduced to Stefanie Ridel, who took the duo under her wings. As Mexican-Americans, Prima J hope to be role models to both American and Latin girls, as they consider themselves the face of the new Hispanic in America, part of an emerging generation that speaks English and lives Latin.

About the panelists:

KC Porter - This Grammy Award-winning producer, arranger and composer has chart-topping works with such Latin superstars as Carlos Santana, Ricky Martin, Luis Miguel, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Ana Gabriel, and the late Selena. Porter has also worked his magic with English-language stars, including Lara Fabian, Bon Jovi, Janet Jackson, Chaka Khan, 98 Degrees, Brian McKnight, Toni Braxton and Boyz II Men, crossing their hits over to Spanish-speaking and international audiences. One of his latest projects was co-writing and producing Ozomatli’s latest album, Don’t Mess with the Dragon.

Rafa Sardina – Sardina, a Los Angeles based, ten-time Grammy Award-winning mixer/engineer has built an eclectic and impressive client list in the recent years: Macy Gray, Stevie Wonder, Dr Dre, Dru Hill, Jessy Moss, Mariah Carey, Luis Miguel, Sheryl Crow, Soul Coughing, Marc Antoine, Angie Stone and Alejandro Sanz, among others. He has worked with numerous high-profile artists and producers, including Dr Dre, Camara Kambon, Lulu Perez, Babyface, Scott Litt and David Foster. Most recently, Sardina has launched a production company focusing on developing new talent in his state-of-the art studio, open since 2006.

Mark Portman - This Los Angeles-based, Grammy Award-nominated producer/songwriter/musician has worked on over 130 albums, several movies and TV shows. His roster of Latin stars includes Luis Miguel, Julio Iglesias, Alejandro Sanz, Jaci Velasquez, Cristian Castro, Luis Fonsi, Olga Tanon, Pedro Fernandez, Reik, Ednita Nazario, and Los Temerarios. He has collaborated and worked with renowned producers including David Foster, Phil Ramone, Quincy Jones, Teddy Riley and Latin producer Rudy Perez. Among his other roster of superstars are Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Carole Bayer Sager, Blackstreet, Diana Ross, Christina Aguilera, Brenda Russell, Dave Koz and others.

Sebastian Krys - Based in South Florida, this multiple Grammy Award-winning producer has over 20 top ten Billboard Latin Hits, including 9 No. 1 singles and albums. Krys has worked with artists including Marc Anthony, Carlos Vives, Sandy & Junior, Shakira, Mana, JD Natasha, Jeremias, Long Beach Dub All Stars w/Black Eyed Peas, Aterciopelados, Ricky Martin, Will Smith, Obie Bermudez, Gian Marco, Luis Fonsi, Gloria Estefan, Soraya, Mandy Moore, Jennifer Lopez, and more.

Homero Patrón – This Grammy Award-winning musician, director and composer has worked with artists such as José José, Emmanuel, Marco Antonio Muñiz, Rocío Durcal, Ray Conniff, Barry White, Tom Jones, Nana Moskoury, Raphael, Nelson Ned, Juan Gabriel, Manoella Torres, Vicky Carr, Gualberto Castro, Angélica María, César Costa, Alberto Vazquez, Charles Aznavour, and Jose Luis Rodríguez “El Puma,” to name just a few. Patrón has also produced albums for such superstars as Juan Gabriel, Lucha Villa, Javier Solís, Angeles Ochoa, Ana Gabriel, Yuri, Pedro Fernandez, Vicky Carr, Olga Tañon, Vicente and Alejandro Fernández, Pepe Aguilar, Lucero, Alicia Villarreal, Pablo Montero, Ana Bárbara, Laura Flores, Nana Mouskouri and Marco Antonio Solís.

Kiko Cibrian - Multi-talented producer, musician and vocal producer who has worked with Luis Miguel, Christian Castro, and up-and-coming artists Innis, Jesse & Joy, Patricia Manterola, Souljahz, and Frankie J, Reik, along with projects such at Billboard’s Latin Series: Best of 1997, Billboard’s Latin Series: Best of Pop 1996, along with the Sinatra Duets.

Marco Flores - Flores has produced and written over 400 songs, four of which placed number one on Billboard's charts in the same year (2000), and has achieved an impressive 14 platinum albums and 22 gold albums. His roster includes works with Richard Marx, Luther Vandross, Selena, Barrio Boyzz, Donna Summer, Toni Braxton, Bonnie Raitt, Thalia, Gloria Estefan, Carlos Ponce, Jordi, Ricky Martin, Jose Feliciano, and many more.

The festivities will start strong with an animated performance by Frequency 5, a dynamic pop punk quintet sure to kick the crowd’s adrenaline into high gear. This summer, four of Frequency 5’s songs will be featured in Dylan and Cole Sprouse’s upcoming movie, Prince and the Pauper . The band is currently working on the film’s title track with Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas, and their new album, Life’s a Little Messy, will be in stores and available online through JL43 Entertainment on August 28. www.myspace.com/frequency5.

T-Squad is a vocal and dance hip-hop/pop "super group" formed by four diverse, uniquely talented young performers: Kid Karizz, Miki, Jade and Boo Boo. T-Squad entertains with electrifying dance skills, smooth vocals and unforgettable stage presence. Since the Disney Channel debut of the music video for their high-flying hit "Vertical,” the group has been winning over fans left and right. The song was featured on Walt Disney Records' soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie Jump In! and the album has since been certified gold. "Vertical" has steadily climbed the Radio Disney Top 30 chart, and the group has performed before tens of thousands of fans live in concert while opening for The Cheetah Girls and Jonas Brothers. www.myspace.com/disneysnewgrouptsquad.

Latin pop group 6 Twenty got their start while attending Jordan High School in Long Beach, California. Colombian-born brothers Richard (Richie) and Joseph (Jose) Sanchez met two friends, Roberto (Bobby) Cerda and Gil (Tito) Figueroa, a talented singer and songwriter from Puerto Rico, and began a close friendship that eventually flourished into a promising musical career. Get a taste of their sweet pop, and you’ll be hooked. www.myspace.com/6twentyfanclub.

Screenings, games, booths, magicians, giveaways, pony rides, a petting zoo and more will all be part of the festivity in Westwood. Additional festival films geared towards families will be screened throughout the day.

The group, which won the 2006 MTV 2 Dew Circuit Breakout award, has performed for over 100,000 middle and high school students on the SEAP school tour with KIIS FM, appeared on the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and in Pop Star magazine, and has a televised PSA on crime prevention airing nationally. They are currently working on the title track to the upcoming feature film Prince and the Pauper produced by Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas and are awaiting the August release of their debut, Life’s a Little Messy.

S O S
Evan Bogart
Edward Cobb
Jonathan "JR" Rotem
Embassy Music Corporation
Here's Lookin' At You Kidd Music
Jonathan Rotem Music
Reach Global Songs
Southside Independent Music Publishing LLC
Rihanna
SRP/Def Jam/IDJMG

SAVIN' ME
Daniel Adair (SOCAN)
Chad Kroeger (SOCAN)
Mike Kroeger (SOCAN)
Ryan Peake (SOCAN)
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Nickelback
Roadrunner/IDJMG Records

SHAKE IT OFF
Mariah Carey
Rye Songs
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Mariah Carey
Island Records

SHE SAYS
Howie Day
HKD Music
Howie Day
Epic Records

SO SICK
Ne-Yo
Super Sayin' Publishing
Zomba Songs
Ne-Yo
Def Jam/IDJMG

SOUL SURVIVOR
Young Jeezy
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Young Jeezy Music
Young Jeezy featuring Akon
Corporate Thugs/Def Jam Records

STICKWITU
Franne Golde
Kasia Livingston
Robert Palmer
Franne Gee Music
Myia’s Koala Bear Music Publishing
Notting Hill Music, Inc.
Parchi Music
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Pussycat Dolls
A & M Records

SUGAR (GIMME SOME)
David Byrne
Trick Daddy
First and Gold Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Trick Daddy featuring Ludacris & Cee-Lo
Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic

SUGAR, WE'RE GOIN' DOWN
Andrew Hurley
Patrick Stump
Joe Trohman
Pete Wentz
Chicago X Softcore Songs
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Fall Out Boy
IDJMG/Fueled By Ramen/Island

TALK
Karl Bartos (GEMA)
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Coldplay
Capitol Music Group

UNFAITHFUL
Ne-Yo
Super Sayin' Publishing
Zomba Songs
Rihanna
SRP/Def Jam/IDJMG

UNWRITTEN
Natasha Bedingfield (PRS)
Danielle Brisebois
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Gator Baby
Natasha Bedingfield
Epic Records

WALK AWAY
Kara DioGuardi
K'Stuff Publishing
Kelly Clarkson
RCA/RMG

WHAT HURTS THE MOST
Jeffrey Steele
Gottahaveable Music
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Rascal Flatts
Lyric Street

WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE
Ryan Adams
Barland Music
Tim McGraw
Curb Records

WHERE'D YOU GO
Mike Shinoda
Kenji Kobayashi Music
Zomba Songs
Fort Minor featuring Holly Brook & Jonah Matranga
Machine Shop/WB

YOU AND ME (2nd Award)
Jude Cole
Jason Wade
Dimensional Songs of the Knoll
G-Chills Music
Jude Cole Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Lifehouse
Geffen Records

YOU 'RE BEAUTIFUL
James Blunt (PRS)
Amanda Ghost (PRS)
Sacha Skarbek
David Platz Music, Inc.
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.
James Blunt
Atlantic Records

YOUR BODY
Bigg D
Marcus "Pleasure" Cooper
Jim Jonsin
Corey "Slick' Em" Mathis
Diamond "Baby Blue" Smith
Joseph "Blue" Smith
Spectacular Smith
Black Boy Hatchet Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Pretty Ricky
Atlantic Records

Emerging as the next hot super-producer, Polow began racking up credits in 2004, working on tracks by Mya and Will Smith. In 2005 he produced “DJ Play a Love Song” by Jamie Foxx and that same year, Ludacris’ “Pimpin’ All Over the World.” But 2006 shaped up to be his breakout year: When Black Eyed Peas star Fergie shouted “Polow!” on her single “London Bridge,” Polow graduated from a “who?” to a “who’s who.” Polow’s beats are sometimes just as left-field as his nom de plume; innovative songs to his credit include Kelis’s loopy, alarm-based jam “Blindfold Me,” and Ciara’s ’80s-inspired smash ”Promise.”

Based in Atlanta, Polow attended Morehouse College for a spell but left in his freshman year to join the rap group Jim Crow, which inked a deal with Sony and released two albums under the label, 1999’s Crow’s Nest and Right Quick in 2001.

Polow actually found himself in a bit of music-geek controversy in late 2005, when Fergie’s song “Glamorous” lifted several elements from a remix of Gwen Stefani’s “Luxurious.” Polow produced both tracks, yet his remix was never officially released, and when Fergie’s track surfaced it seemed like she was really, really “borrowing” from Gwen. Polow nonetheless escaped the brouhaha unscathed and went on to create more hits, including “Throw Some D’s” by Rich Boy.

A bit of an enigma (his minimalist MySpace page reads, “Don’t need to meet anyone, everyone wants to meet me”), Polow has created his own label, Zone 4 Inc. While the behind-the-scenes track master might maintain anonymity for a little while longer, another year like this one will no doubt turn Polow into a household name.

FOUR AWARDS
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group with Vocal
Best Rock Song
Best Rock Album
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package

TWO AWARDS
George Benson
Best Pop Instrumental Performance
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance

Michael Brecker
Best Jazz Instrumental Solo
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Chick Corea
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
Best Instrumental Arrangement

The Flaming Lips
Best Rock Instrumental Performance
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

Kirk Franklin
Best Gospel Song
Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album

Gnarls Barkley
Best Alternative Music Album
Best Urban/Alternative Performance

John Legend
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals

T.I.
Best Rap Solo Performance
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Carrie Underwood
Best New Artist
Best Female Country Vocal Performance

John Williams
Best Score Soundtrack Album
Best Instrumental Composition

OTHER WINNERS
Yolanda Adams
Best Gospel Performance

Pepe Aguilar
Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album

Christina Aguilera
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Chente Barrera y Taconazo
Best Tejano Album

The Black Eyed Peas
Best Pop Performance by Duo or Group with Vocal

Randy Brecker
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

T Bone Burnett
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album

Enya (PRS)
Best New Age Album

Peter Erskine
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Béla Fleck & the Flecktones
Best Contemporary Jazz Album

Dave Fridmann
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

Bob Gaudio
Best Musical Show Album

Vince Gill
Best Male Country Vocal Performance

Osvaldo Golijov
Best Classical Contemporary Composition

Bill Harley
Best Spoken Word Album for Children

Van Hunt
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals

Israel & New Breed
Best Traditional Gospel Album

Al Jarreau
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance

Klezmatics
Best Contemporary World Music Album

Krayzie Bone
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group

Will Lee
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

The Bryan Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project
Best Latin Jazz Album

Maná
Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album

OK Go
Best Short Form Music Video

Joss Stone (PRS)
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals

Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra
Best Polka Album

Irma Thomas
Best Contemporary Blues

Los Tigres Del Norte
Best Norteño Album

Ike Turner
Best Traditional Blues Album

Julieta Venegas
Best Latin Pop Album

Doc Watson
Best Country Collaboration with Vocals

Pharrell Williams
Best Rap Song

Wolfmother (APRA)
Best Hard Rock Performance

Red Hot Chili Peppers	James Blunt	Chris Brown

Nods for the California-based foursome include Album of the Year and Best Rock Album for their Stadium Arcadium set, along with Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for the single "Dani California."

Corinne Bailey Rae	Carrie Underwood	Dixie Chicks

Also topping the BMI nominee list was James Blunt (PRS), who is up for five Grammys including Record and Song of the Year for his smash "You're Beautiful." The angel-voiced singer also hopes to add a Best New Artist Grammy to his growing list of awards and faces other BMI newcomers Chris Brown, Corinne Bailey Rae and Carrie Underwood.

will.i.am	John Williams	Gnarls Barkley

Israel Houghton	T.I.

Country trio the Dixie Chicks and Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am also took home five nominations each, with mentions in the Best Country Album and Producer of the Year categories, respectively. The in-demand producer's handful of potential Grammys includes two for himself and two with BEP, as well as one as part of the Jawbreaker production team that worked on Justin Timberlake's Album of Year entry, FutureSex/LoveSounds.

Gnarls Barkley, whose hit "Crazy" will battle for the coveted Record of the Year title, earned a total of four mentions, as did gospel giant Israel Houghton and Atlanta rapper T.I., who will vie for the Best Rap Song ("What You Know") and Best Rap Album (King) trophies. Celebrated film composer John Williams was also a four-time nominee and will compete against himself in both the movie score and instrumental composition categories.

Other big BMI names on the Grammy nominees list were Christina Aguilera, The Racontuers, Jamie Foxx, Calle 13, Jim McNeely, Death Cab for Cutie, Mos Def, Rascal Flatts, Donald Lawrence, Julieta Venegas (SGAE), Harry Gregson-Williams and Rosanne Cash.

Click here for a complete list of BMI Grammy nominees.

Black Eyed Peas	Toby Keith	Rascal Flatts

BMI songwriter/artists swept the country category, winning all four AMAs including a Favorite Male Artist title for Toby Keith and the Favorite Band, Duo or Group win for Rascal Flatts.

Red Hot Chili Peppers	Shakira	Carrie Underwood

Other big winners at the ceremony -- handed out by surprise presenter Britney Spears -- included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who were named Favorite Alternative Artist in the adult contemporary category and Favorite Band in the pop/rock category.

Newly crowned Latin Grammy queen Shakira was named Favorite Latin Artist and American Idol alumna Carrie Underwood took home the coveted Breakthrough Artist trophy.

BMI's 2006 American Music Awards winners:

POP/ROCK
Band, Duo or Group
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Album
Nickelback
All the Right Reasons

COUNTRY
Male Artist
Toby Keith

Female Artist
Faith Hill

Band, Duo or Group
Rascal Flatts

Album
Tim McGraw
Greatest Hits Volume 2

SOUL/RHYTHM AND BLUES
Male Artist
Jamie Foxx

Band, Duo or Group
The Black Eyed Peas

RAP/HIP-HOP
Male Artist
Eminem

Band, Duo or Group
The Black Eyed Peas

Album
The Black Eyed Peas
Monkey Business

ALTERNATIVE
Artist
Red Hot Chili Peppers

LATIN
Artist
Shakira

CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Artist
Kirk Franklin

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
New Artist
Carrie Underwood]]> 2006-11-22T03:00:00-05:00