West, a previous six-time Grammy winner, garnered the most nods including Album of the Year, Best Rap Album and Best Rap Solo Performance. His songwriting expertise is being recognized twice in the Best Rap Song category for “Good Life” and “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”.

Amy Winehouse, up for six, goes head-to-head with Kanye in the Album of the Year category. Winehouse received nominations including Song of the Year for “Rehab” and the coveted Best New Artist, which she’ll compete with BMI newcomer Taylor Swift.

BMI singer/songwriters dominated the Album of the Year category obtaining all five nominations with the Foo Fighters Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace; Vince Gill’s These Days; Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters; Kanye West’s Graduation; and Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black.

In addition, T-Pain received his first-ever Grammy recognition garnering five nods in categories including Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals and Best Rap Song. Ne-Yo also scored five nominations, including Best Contemporary R&B Album mention for Because of You.

Daughtry, Tim McGraw, Rihanna and Feist scored four nominations each. Daughtry’s explosive self-titled album is up for Best Rock Album; McGraw’s Let It Go received a Best Country Album nod; Rihanna’s “Umbrella” earned a Record of the Year nomination; and Feist scored a Best New Artist nod.

Producer Mark Ronson received three nominations including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical and Record of the Year for his contributions to Winehouse’s Back to Black. Jack White of the White Stripes and Casting Crown's Mark Hall were also cited three times, as were Herbie Hancock, DJ Toomp and Common.

The Recording Academy will also honor Max Roach, The Band and Earl Scruggs with Lifetime Achievement Awards, as well as Jac Holzman and Willie Mitchell with Trustee Awards.

BMI attained a sizable percentage of the rock field achieving four-of-five nominations in the Best Rock Song and the Best Rock Album categories. The domination continued with BMI’s traditional strength in the Latin, Rap & R&B, Gospel, Jazz categories, and sweeps in the New Age and Traditional Blues categories.

The new group began when White and Benson got together one hot summer day and wrote and recorded the song “Steady, As She Goes” at Benson’s East Grand Studio (which was, in fact, the attic of his home). Fired by what they created, the two joined forces with Lawrence and Keeler — whose band had been produced by Benson — to record a full album of Benson/White compositions whenever they had time amidst all their other activities.

“We just went in and wrote songs and recorded immediately,” says White of their creative approach. Even though inspiration drove the project, the process of getting 10 songs down took a good year. But finally, in May 2006, the foursome released their debut album as The Raconteurs, Broken Boy Soldiers.

The disc hit No. 7 on the U.S. charts and No. 2 in the U.K., powered by the success of its first single, the seminal “Steady, As She Goes,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. Hitting the road to appear at festivals like Lollapalooza as well as at clubs, the group that calls itself “a new band made up of old friends” quickly became a star attraction.

What at first glance may have looked like a one-off side project now seems destined to take its place alongside its members’ other pursuits. The band has relocated to Nashville and is writing and recording new material. But even after a hit album and the better part of a year on the road, The Raconteurs remain a work in progress. “The band is just changing so much,” says White. “We’re really trying to figure out what we are.”

The quartet convened at Benson’s East Grand Studio to lay down the basic tracks for Broken Boy Soldiers. Work would continue whenever the boys could get together over the next year. Finally, the album has found a window for its release in May of 2006. The band is now, for its members, all consuming and they now present themselves to be....consumed, or at best simply heard.

From the ready-made, radio-friendly quality built into songs like “Steady, As She Goes,” to the explosive tenacity of “Store Bought Bones,” all the way down to the “hits the cockles of your heart” lullabies that encompass the full-length recording, The Raconteurs are more than capable of conquering any genre challenge or tale that they encounter.  After all, a raconteur is, by definition, a deft storyteller. And now a new story is unfolding.

Remember a time

When all was not fine

And up from the dingy sewers

Came four lousy thieves

Who flourished like trees

Behold The Raconteurs.....

The Raconteurs released their debut album Broken Boy Soldiers through Third Man Records/V2 Records on May 16, 2006. The album features 10 songs, including the debut single “Steady, As She Goes.”

Broken Boy Soldiers track list in full:

1. Steady, As She Goes
2. Hands
3. Broken Boy Soldier
4. Intimate Secretary
5. Together
6. Level
7. Store Bought Bones
8. Yellow Sun
9. Call It A Day
10. Blue Veins

All songs recorded at Le Grande Studios in Detroit by Matthew Kettle and Brendan Benson. Mixed by Jack White at Ardent Studios, Memphis. Produced by Jack White and Brendan Benson.

The Raconteurs enjoyed a sold out tour of the U.K. in March. Their debut U.S. show at New York City’s Irving Plaza in April will be followed by shows at the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles on June 7, European festival dates and a performance at The Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago’s Grant Park on July 4. 

Tim McGraw	Big & Rich	Toby Keith

CMT viewers began voting on February 16 for their favorite videos on CMT.com to determine the finalists, and later the winners. The first round of voting will end on March 10, when the votes will be tabulated and the field will be narrowed to four finalists in each category.

Alison Krauss	Martina McBride	Shania Twain

On Wednesday, March 16, CMT will announce the four finalists in each category except Video of the Year. Fans will be able to vote online at CMT.com through April 8 to determine the winners in all categories except Video of the Year. The winner of Video of the Year will be determined by viewers at CMT.com during the live telecast of the awards show.

Keith Urban	Los Lonely Boys

All category winners will be announced on Monday, April 11, on the live 2005 CMT Music Awards, hosted by Jeff Foxworthy.

BMI's nominees for 2005 CMT MUSIC AWARDS are:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Big & Rich - "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)"
Alison Krauss - "Whiskey Lullaby"
Keith Urban - "Days Go By"
Rascal Flatts - "Feels Like Today"
Tim McGraw - "Live Like You Were Dying"
Toby Keith - "Stays In Mexico"

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Blake Shelton - "Some Beach"
Charlie Robison - "El Cerrito Place"
Keith Urban - "Days Go By"
Tim McGraw - "Live Like You Were Dying"
Toby Keith - "Stays In Mexico"

Loretta Lynn	Brooks & Dunn

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Loretta Lynn - "Miss Being Mrs."
Martina McBride - "How Far"
Shania Twain - "Don't"

GROUP/DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Alison Krauss & Union Station - "Restless"
Big & Rich - "Holy Water"
Brooks & Dunn - "That's What It's All About"
Lonestar - "Mr. Mom"
Los Lonely Boys - "Heaven"
Montgomery Gentry - "If You Ever Stop Loving Me"
Rascal Flatts - "Feels Like Today"

Jimmy Buffett	Lonestar

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Alison Krauss - "Whiskey Lullaby"
Jimmy Buffett and Martina McBride - "Trip Around The Sun"
Jimmy Buffett with Clint Black and Toby Keith - "Hey Good Lookin'"
Uncle Kracker - "When The Sun Goes Down"
Loretta Lynn and Jack White - "Portland, Oregon"
Tim McGraw - "Over And Over"
Shania Twain - "Party For Two"
Travis Tritt - "What Say You"

HOTTEST VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Keith Urban - "You're My Better Half"
Tim McGraw - "Over And Over"
Sara Evans - "Suds In The Bucket"
Shania Twain - "When You Kiss Me"
Toby Keith - "Whiskey Girl"

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Big & Rich - "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)"
Julie Roberts - "Break Down Here"
Los Lonely Boys - "Heaven"
Mindy Smith - "Come To Jesus"
Sugarland - "Baby Girl"

MOST INSPIRING VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Big & Rich - "Holy Water"
Brooks & Dunn - "That's What It's All About"
Martina McBride - "God's Will"
Tim McGraw - "Live Like You Were Dying"

Kanye West	Ray Charles

Charles, whose Grammy haul now totals 17, also took home the coveted Record of the Year title as well as Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Here We Go Again," featuring pianist/singer Norah Jones. She won three awards herself, two for her duet with Charles and one for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the song "Sunrise" from her sophomore release Feels Like Home.

Norah Jones	John Adams	Loretta Lynn

Genius engineer Al Schmitt won four Grammys, including one for Best Engineered Album (non-classical); the album's producer, Don Mizell, also took home a statuette.

Maroon5	Tim McGraw

Ten-time nominee Kanye West took home three awards, including Best Rap Song for his hit "Jesus Walks" (co-written with Miri Ben-Ari) from his multiplatinum release The College Dropout, which earned the Best Rap Album title. His Best R&B Song win, also a songwriter award, was shared with BMI co-writer Harold Lilly for the smash "You Don't Know My Name."

Blind Boys of Alabama	Brian Wilson

Pop-rockers Maroon5 took home the prestigious Best New Artist Grammy, a surprise to even the band's own members. When lead singer, Adam Levine, accepted the award, he commented: "Kanye West, I want to thank you so much for being unbelievable."

Miri Ben-Ari	Al Schmitt	Harold Lilly

BMI artists once again dominated the Latin category, winning five of the six awards, including Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album (Street Signs) by multicultural, hip-hop outfit Ozomatli and Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album by Tejano-norte�o fusion band Intocable. Cuban bassist Israel "Cachao" L�pez's �Ahora S�! was named Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra won for Best Salsa/Merengue Album. The Best Tejano Album win went to BMI composers David Lee Garza, Joel Guzman and Sunny Sauceda.

Ozomatli

BMI jazz artists also had a strong showing, winning Grammys in four out of six fields, with the Best Jazz Instrumental Album statuette going to McCoy Tyner, Gary Bartz, Terence Blanchard and Christian McBride for Illuminations. Herbie Hancock picked up his ninth career Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, Charlie Haden's release Land of the Sun was named Best Latin Jazz Album and Bill Frisell's Unspeakable earned the Best Contemporary Jazz Album title.

Winning two Grammys each were classical composer John Adams and BMI Icon Loretta Lynn. This is legendary country singer's second Grammy; she won in 1971 for her collaboration with Conway Twitty. Her album, Van Lear Rose, earned her the Best Country Album trophy, which she accepted with the album's producer Jack White of the White Stripes. The pair also won Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for the track "Portland Oregon."

Newcomers Los Lonely Boys opened the Grammy show with their #1 breakthrough smash "Heaven," which earned the Tex-Mex brothers the trophy for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. Hip-hop party band the Black Eyed Peas picked up a Grammy for "Let's Get It Started," named Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group, while crunk rapper Lil Jon received a Grammy nod for his collaboration on the Usher hit "Yeah!".

Other BMI winners included Basement Jaxx [PRS] (Best Electronic/Dance Album), Tim McGraw (Best Male Country Vocal Performance), The Blind Boys Of Alabama (Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album), Brave Combo (Best Polka Album), and BMI Icon Brian Wilson, who also earned his very first Grammy. The Beach Boys leader was also honored on February 11 as the Person of the Year at the annual MusiCares dinner, which cited him as "one of the most important songwriters and recording artists of our time."

BMI's 2005 Grammy Award Winners:

Ray Charles
Record Of The Year
"Here We Go Again"
Album Of The Year
Genius Loves Company
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
"Here We Go Again"
Best Pop Vocal Album
Genius Loves Company
Best Gospel Performance
"Heaven Help Us All"

Al Schmitt
Record Of The Year
"Here We Go Again"
Album Of The Year
Genius Loves Company
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Genius Loves Company
Best Surround Sound Album
Genius Loves Company

Norah Jones
Record Of The Year
"Here We Go Again"
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
"Sunrise"
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
"Here We Go Again"

Kanye West
Best R&B Song
"You Don't Know My Name"
Best Rap Song
"Jesus Walks"
Best Rap Album
College Dropout

John Adams
Best Classical Album
Adams: On The Transmigration Of Souls
Best Classical Contemporary Composition
Adams: On The Transmigration Of Souls

Loretta Lynn
Best Country Album
Van Lear Rose
Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
Portland Oregon"

Maroon5
Best New Artist

Don Mizell
Album Of The Year
Genius Loves Company

Los Lonely Boys
Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
"Heaven"

Britney Spears
Best Dance Recording
"Toxic"

Basement Jaxx (PRS)
Best Electronic/Dance Album
Kish Kash

Mot�rhead (PRS)
Best Metal Performance
"Whiplash"

Brian Wilson
Best Rock Instrumental Performance
"Mrs. O'Leary's Cow"

Wilco
Best Alternative Music Album
A Ghost Is Born

Harold Lilly
Best R&B Song
"You Don't Know My Name"

The Black Eyed Peas
Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group
"Let's Get It Started"

Lil Jon
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
"Yeah!"

Miri Ben Ari
Best Rap Song
"Jesus Walks"

Tim McGraw
Best Male Country Vocal Performance
"Live Like You Were Dying"

Dixie Chicks
Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
"Top Of The World"

Jack White
Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
"Portland Oregon"

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Best Country Instrumental Performance
"Earl's Breakdown"

Earl Scruggs
Best Country Instrumental Performance
"Earl's Breakdown"

Randy Scruggs
Best Country Instrumental Performance
"Earl's Breakdown"

Jerry Douglas
Best Country Instrumental Performance
"Earl's Breakdown"

Tim Nichols
Best Country Song
"Live Like You Were Dying"

Will Ackerman
Best New Age Album
Returning

Bill Frisell
Best Contemporary Jazz Album
Unspeakable

Herbie Hancock
Best Jazz Instrumental Solo
"Speak Like A Child"

McCoy Tyner
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
Illuminations

Gary Bartz
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
Illuminations

Terence Blanchard
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
Illuminations

Christian McBride
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
Illuminations

Charlie Haden
Best Latin Jazz Album
Land Of The Sun

Steven Curtis Chapman
Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
All Things New

The Blind Boys Of Alabama
Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album
There Will Be A Light

Ozomatli
Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album
Street Signs

Israel L�pez "Cachao"
Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album
�Ahora S�!

Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Best Salsa/Merengue Album
Across 110th Street

Intocable
Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album
Intimamente

David Lee Garza
Best Tejano Album
Polkas, Gritos y Acorde�nes

Joel Guzman
Best Tejano Album
Polkas, Gritos y Acorde�nes

Sunny Sauceda
Best Tejano Album
Polkas, Gritos y Acorde�nes

Etta James
Best Traditional Blues Album
Blues To The Bone

Keb' Mo'
Best Contemporary Blues Album
Keep It Simple

Bill Miller
Best Native American Music Album
Cedar Dream Songs

Toots & The Maytals
Best Reggae Album
True Love

Brave Combo
Best Polka Album
Let's Kiss: 25th Anniversary Album

Paquito D'Rivera
Best Instrumental Composition
"Merengue"

Slide Hampton (SACEM)
Best Instrumental Arrangement
"Past Present & Future"

Ray Cooper (PRS)
Best Long Form Music Video
Concert For George

Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
Best Classical Crossover Album
LAGQ's Guitar Heroes

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners:
Eddy Arnold
Art Blakey
The Carter Family
Jerry Lee Lewis
Pinetop Perkins
The Staple Singers

Evanescence

The White Stripes

Goth-rock band Evanescence picked up two awards, including the coveted Best New Artist Grammy as well as Best Hard Rock Performance for their breakthrough hit, "Bring Me To Life." A pair of posthumous awards went to the late Warren Zevon, whose children accepted statuettes for Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group (with Bruce Springsteen) and Best Contemporary Folk Album for his final recording, The Wind.

Michael Brecker

Alison Krauss & Union Station

Rapper Eminem's Oscar-winning theme song "Lose Yourself" from the movie 8 Mile earned him the Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song titles; songwriter Jeff Bass also earned a Grammy as co-writer on the track.

The Neptunes

Wayne Shorter

Other winners included The White Stripes and jazz greats Wayne Shorter and Michael Brecker, who earned two nods each, as well as Café Tacuba, Christina Aguilera, Vince Gill, Sam Cook, Pink, Foo Fighters, and The Neptunes, who were crowned as Producers of the Year.

BMI's Grammy Award Winners

Christina Aguilera
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Audio Adrenaline
Best Rock Gospel Album

Jeff Bass
Best Rap Song

Steve Berkowitz
Best Historical Album

The Blind Boys of Alabama
Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album

Michael Brecker
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Best Instrumental Arrangement

Randy Brecker
Best Contemporary Jazz Album

Caf� Tacuba
Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album

Michel Camilo
Best Latin Jazz Album

Ry Cooder
Best Pop Instrumental Album

Sam Cooke
Best Long Form Music Video

Chick Corea
Best Jazz Instrumental Solo

Ani DiFranco
Best Album Package

Reggie Dozier
Album of the Year

Eminem
Best Rap Song
Best Male Rap Solo Performance

Evanescence
Best New Artist
Best Hard Rock Performance

Foo Fighters
Best Rock Album

Aretha Franklin
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance

Vince Gill
Best Male Country Vocal Performance

Jimmy Gonzalez y El Grupo Mazz
Best Tejano Album

Buddy Guy
Best Traditional Blues Album

Rich Harrison
Best R&B Song

Bishop T.D. Jakes
Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album

Etta James
Best Contemporary Blues Album

k.d. lang (SOCAN)
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Alison Krauss
Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
Alison Krauss & Union Station
Best Country Instrumental Performance
Best Bluegrass Album

Donnie McClurkin
Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album

Pat Metheny
Best New Age Album

The Neptunes
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Pink
Best Female Rock Vocal Performance

Neal Pogue
Album of the Year

Eugene Record
Best R&B Song

Don Rollins
Best Country Song

Wayne Shorter
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Best Instrumental Composition

Sting (PRS)
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

Jimmy Sturr
Best Polka Album

"Weird Al" Yankovic
Best Comedy Album

Jack White (The White Stripes)
Best Rock Song
Best Alternative Music Album

Warren Zevon
Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group
Best Contemporary Folk Album

Warren Zevon