Winners were chosen by a special selection committee formed by the Foundation on the following criteria: instilling a love of music in their students through instrumental music instruction in grades K-12; having the passion, dedication and leadership skills to persevere under difficult circumstances; giving generously of their time, energy and talent, and exceeding what is expected of music educators; demonstrating creativity regardless of availability of instruments, materials, classroom space and budget limitations; inspiring students and challenging them to attain the highest level of musicianship; and encouraging musical growth through ongoing individual and group performance, auditions and evaluations.

Founded in 1996 by the film’s composer, the late Michael Kamen, the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation supports music education and its many benefits through the donation and repair of musical instruments to under-served schools, community music programs

Seen here congratulating Frances Preston on receiving the Golden Mike Award are BMI's Del Bryant, Broadcasters' Foundation Chairman Phil Lombardo, Broadcasters' Foundation President Gordon Hastings, BMI board member Jim Yager, BMI artist Michael Bolton, Preston, BMI ICON Isaac Hayes, NAB President Eddie Fritts, BMI's John Shaker, and BMI Board Chairman Ken Elkins

Guest presenters included BMI ICON Isaac Hayes, music executive Clive Davis, NAB President Eddie Fritts, BMI board member and Barrington Broadcasting CEO Jim Yager, and BMI artist Michael Bolton, who gave stirring performances of "Georgia On My Mind" and "When A Man Loves A Woman" in Preston's honor.

BMI's Frances Preston (center) accepts the Golden Mike Award from Broadcasters' Foundation Chairman Phil Lombardo and Foundation President Gordon Hastings

For nearly 60 years, the nonprofit Broadcasters' Foundation has been a safety net in times of personal or family crisis for radio and television professionals across the country. The Foundation provides anonymous financial grants to those who, through no fault of their own, are in acute need due to critical illness, advanced age, death of a spouse, an accident or other serious misfortune. It is the only organization doing this work in the broadcasting industry.

BMI's Frances Preston (center) gets lots of love from presenters Michael Bolton and Isaac Hayes

Michael Bolton performs at the Golden Mike Awards

Photos: Wendy Moger-Bross]]> 2004-02-24T17:00:01-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233306 Artists, Bolton, Michael, Musical Styles, Pop Shown congratulating BMI songwriter Michael Bolton on receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame are BMI's Cheryl Dickerson, Bolton, BMI's Delia Orjuela, Ivanne Deneroff, Paige Sober and Linda Livingston.

]]> 2002-08-28T18:00:01-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233116 3 Doors Down, Amazed, Arnold, Brad, Austin, Dallas, Babyface, Berry, Chuck, Bolton, Michael, Bryant, Del, Carey, Mariah, Diddley, Bo, Evan and Jaron, Gibb, Robin, Gibbons, Billy, Groban, Josh, Hardson, Tre, Jackson, Janet, Jennings, Will, Lifehouse, Little Richard, Mirwais, Neville, Ivan, Parton, Dolly, Roberts, Matt, Rooney, Rooney, Cory, Staples, Mavis, Thorogood, George, Twain, Shania, Wilshire, Country, Pop, Rock, Feature, BMI Pop Awards BMI saluted the writers and publishers of the past year’s 50 most performed songs during the 50th Annual BMI Pop Awards tonight, with superlatives reserved for Rob Thomas’s song “If You’re Gone,” songwriter Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down and Universal Music Publishing. Frances W. Preston, President & CEO, and Barbara Cane, Vice President & General Manager, Writer/Publisher Relations, Los Angeles, handed out BMI Citations of Achievement to more than 150 writers and publishers during the dinner event, which culminated in the announcements of Song, Songwriter, Publisher and College Song of the Year. A highlight of the golden-anniversary gala, staged at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, was the presentation of the first BMI ICON Awards to Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Little Richard in recognition of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.”

Little Richard; Frances W. Preston, BMI President & CEO; Chuck Berry; and Bo Diddley

“If You’re Gone” earned the BMI Pop Song of the Year crystal for songwriter Rob Thomas of matchbox twenty and publishers Bidnis, Inc. and EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. This distinction is given to the song tallying the most feature broadcast performances during the eligibility period. A #1 single from matchbox twenty’s Lava/Atlantic album Mad Season, “If You’re Gone” brings Thomas’s BMI Awards total to 11. With this win, Thomas, who was named 1999 BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year, joins an illustrious list of those who have taken both Song and Songwriter trophies, including Stephen Bishop, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Barry and Robin Gibb, Will Jennings, Bert Kaempfert (GEMA), Dolly Parton, Carole Bayer Sager and Shania Twain.

Rob Thomas

Brad Arnold

Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down placed four songs on the Most Performed List of 50 to collect the BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year reward. From the band’s debut album The Better Life on Republic/Universal Records, the songs earning Arnold the crown were “Be Like That,” “Duck and Run,” “Kryptonite” (2nd award) and “Loser.”

BMI's Barbara Cane, Universal Music Publishing's David Renzer, BMI's Frances W. Preston, Songwriter of the Year Brad Arnold, BMI's Del Bryant and Universal Music Publishing's Tom Sturges

With 11 songs cited - including Arnold’s four - Universal Music Publishing (through its companies Irving Music, Songs of Universal, Inc., and Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.) claimed the BMI Pop Publisher of the Year prize; David Renzer, President, Worldwide Universal Music Group, accepted the crystal obelisk. The Publisher of the Year title is given to the publishing concern with the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs. Universal’s other top performing tunes were “All Or Nothing,” “Breathe,” “Breathless,” “Change Your Mind,” “Hemorrhage (In My Hands),” “Play” and “Ride Wit Me.”

Johnny Lang performing during the Chuck Berry tribute

3 Doors Down lead singer Brad Arnold shows off his Songwriter of the Year crystal

Of the 86 songwriters recognized, ten, in addition to Arnold, were multiple winners. Placing three songs each on the list were 3 Doors Down members Todd Harrell and Matt Roberts and previous songwriter victors Janet Jackson (1990) and Cory Rooney (2000); double honorees were Mirwais Ahmadzai, 3 Doors Down’s Chris Henderson, and Red Hot Chili Peppers Flea, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith.

Little Richard and Ivan Neville (Neville performed the Little Richard tribute)

Publishers gathering three or more awards were Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc., Escatawpa Songs, Sony/ATV Songs LLC, Black Ice Publishing, Cori Tiffani Publishing and Ensign Music Corporation.

Mavis Staples

“Hanging By A Moment” grabbed Most Performed Song on College Radio kudos for songwriter Jason Wade of Lifehouse. The song, from Lifehouse’s debut DreamWorks album No Name Face, is published by G-Chills Music and Songs of DreamWorks.

Josh Groban and Chuck Berry

Among this year’s honorees, 15 songs have earned the status of BMI Million-Air (accumulating at least one million broadcast performances) for a total of more than 22 million performances. Based on an average length of three minutes, one million airplays is the equivalent of 50,000 hours or 5.7 years, continuously. Million-Airs on the 2001 list translate into over 1.1 million hours or 125.4 years of airplay.

BMI's Tracie Verlinde (2nd left) and Myles Lewis (right) with members of Lifehouse

Five of the 50 top Pop are repeat achievers. “Amazed” collected its third consecutive Pop Award; the 2000 BMI Country Song of the Year has accrued nearly four million performances. Four songs picked up second Awards: last year’s honorees “Kryptonite,” “With Arms Wide Open” and “Breathe” (also Pop Song of the Year), and “Lady Marmalade,” first recognized in 1975.

BMI songwriter/producer Dallas Austin, BMI Board member Frank Melton and Chuck Berry

BMI’s Citation of Achievement is given annually in recognition of popularity in the field of popular music, as measured by feature broadcast performances on American radio and television. This year’s Pop Awards' eligibility period ran October 1, 2000 through September 30, 2001.

Evan and Jaron

High-resolution photos are available for downloading on the BMI Media Relations web site at press.bmi.com.

ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Bo Diddley

Tatiana Litvin, BMI songwriter Tre Hardson, BMI songwriter Dallas Austin, BMI's Catherine Brewton, Jody Gerson and actor Orlando Jones

George Thorogood

members of CrazyTown

Pictured at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame are (l to r) BMI's Harry Warner, Phil Walden, Zelma Redding and Otis Redding, Jr., and Alan Walden.

"(Sittin On) The Dock Of The Bay," written by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper and published by Irving Music, Inc., is only the fourth song in the BMI repertoire to reach the seven-million mark, joining "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," "Yesterday" and "Never My Love." It has been memorably recorded by a variety of talents, such as Michael Bolton, Al Jarreau, Sergio Mendes, Glen Campbell, Tom Jones, the Staple Singers, David Allan Coe and the California Raisins, to name a handful. The song has also earned numerous BMI awards including R&B Awards (1967-72), Pop Awards (1968-69, 1982 and 1988) and a Country Award (1983).

Frances W. Preston with the "Spirit of Life" award

Michael Bolton, Frances W. Preston and Jon Secada

It was announced at the dinner that more than $3 million dollars had been raised during the 2000 campaign, which included various sport and music activities, including the dinner.

Shown at the City of Hope's Music and Entertainment Industry Chapter's "Spirit of Life" award dinner in Los Angeles on Oct. 19 are, l to r: Neil Portnow, President of the Music and Entertainment Industry board and VP, West Coast Operations, Jive/Zomba; Don Passman, esq., Chairman of the Music and Entertainment Industry board; Zach Horowitz, Board member/Major Gifts Chair and President/COO Universal Music Group; Charles Goldstuck, East Coast National Campaign Chair and President/COO, J Records; Frances W.Preston, President & CEO, BMI; David Simone, Board member; Mary Jo Mennella, West Coast National Campaign Chair and Sr. VP/GM Music Publishing, Fox Music; Bruce Resnikoff, Board Member/Endowment Chair and President Universal Muisc Special Markets; John Frankenheimer, esq., West Coast Co-Chair, attorney; and Bruce Hinton, Nashville Co-Chair and Chairman, MCA Nashville

In accepting the award Preston, BMI's President & CEO, said: "Hope�It is the center of our lives and the City of Hope stands as the proud reminder for all of us to share that which we have been fortunate to receive."

Artists Michael Bolton, James Ingram (with Patti Austin) and Jon Secada performed in tribute to Preston. David Foster served as Musical Producer.

The City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, is one of the world's leading research and treatment centers for cancer and other serious diseases, including diabetes and HIV/AIDS. The work conducted at City of Hope is shared with medical centers worldwide, touching the lives of millions of people everywhere. City of Hope is located in Greater Los Angeles.

The dinner, part of the Music and Entertainment Industry Group's annual fund-raising effort, benefits the California medical and research center. Since the group was founded more than 20 years ago, it has raised more than $30 million in support of City of Hope programs.

The City of Hope was founded in 1913 as a haven for those stricken with tuberculosis. Today, the center stands on a 108-acre campus at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains and has become an internationally recognized medical and research facility.