As part of the panel, Austin Winkler and Cody Hanson of the multi-platinum rock group Hinder joined Howes to perform “Lips Of An Angel,” which they co-wrote; Hamilton performed his “Charlene” and “Can’t Let Go.” The panel was moderated by Los Angeles Times Chief Music Critic Ann Powers and BMI’s Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Catherine Brewton. Panelists discussed their Grammy-nominated works, the raw ideas and the occasionally idiosyncratic processes pooled into composing songs that resonate with a broad spectrum of listeners.

Front Row: Chris Daughtry; BMI’s Catherine Brewton; LA Times’ Ann Powers; and Anthony Hamilton. Back row: Cody Hanson of Hinder; Rodney Jerkins; Austin Winkler of Hinder; Polow Da Don; Brian Howes, Ben Moody and Fat Joe.

Back row: Rodney Jerkins; Austin Winkler of Hinder; Polow Da Don; Brian Howes; Fat Joe. Front row: Cody Hanson of Hinder; Anthony Hamilton; Chris Daughtry and Brian Howes.

Polow Da Don and Ben Moody

Rodney Jerkins, Chris Daughtry, Anthony Hamilton, Fat Joe, LA Times Ann Powers

Anthony Hamilton and Fat Joe

Rodney Jerkins, Chris Daughtry, Anthony Hamilton and Fat Joe

Brian Howes, Austin Winkler and Cody Hanson

Rodney Jerkins, Chris Daughtry and Anthony Hamilton

BMI’s Catherine Brewton; Fat Joe; BMI’s Phil Graham and Byron Wright

BMI’s Barbara Cane; Rodney Jerkins; BMI’s Catherine Brewton; Ben Moody; and BMI’s Myles Lewis

BMI’s Tracie Verlinde and Myles Lewis; Ben Moody; Chris Daughtry; BMI’s Barbara Cane and Phil Graham

BMI’s Ian Holder and Malik Levy; Anthony Hamilton and BMI’s Byron Wright

BMI’s Byron Wright; Polow Da Don; and BMI’s Ian Holder

Front row: BMI’s Myles Lewis and Barbara Cane; Chris Daughtry; BMI’s Catherine Brewton; the LA Timess’ Ann Powers; Anthony Hamilton; BMI’s Tracie Verlinde and Byron Wright; back row: BMI’s Samantha Cox; Hinder’s Cody Hanson; Rodney Jerkins; Hinder’s Austin Winkler; BMI’s Ian Holder; Polow Da Don; Brian Howes; Ben Moody; Fat Joe; BMI’s Phil Graham and Malik Levy.

Photos: Randall Michaelson

BMI will pair with the Los Angeles Times to present the second annual “How I Wrote the Song” panel Saturday, February 9, from 1p.m. until 3p.m., at the Key Club in L.A. Mirroring the format of 2007’s sold-out forum, another elite cross-section of established hitmakers, including Rodney Jerkins, Chris Daughtry, Mos Def, Ben Moody of Evanescence, Polow Da Don, Anthony Hamilton and Brian Howes will discuss their work, the raw ideas and the occasionally idiosyncratic processes pooled into composing songs that resonate with a broad spectrum of listeners. Moderated by BMI’s Vice President, Writer Publisher Relations Catherine Brewton and Los Angeles Times Music Critic Ann Powers, the event is open to the public. Advance tickets are available now for $10 through Ticketmaster at www.keyclub.com or the Key Club box office; day-of admission at the door will be $20.

Grammy Award-winner Rodney Jerkins’s creative dexterity materializes in distinct but diverse musical triumphs. The pen behind take-charge smashes including Destiny Child’s “Say My Name,” Brandy & Monica’s duet “The Boy is Mine” and Beyoncé’s “Déjà Vu,” Jerkins has also produced work by contemporary superstars including Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Destiny’s Child. His unerring ear led to a vice president of a&r position with Island Def Jam, while Janet Jackson’s forthcoming project Discipline features his signature production.

American Idol alum Chris Daughtry has brazenly staked a record-breaking place in contemporary music, confidently fronting the aptly titled rock band Daughtry. The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter signed with RCA and management powerhouse 19 Entertainment after his fan-propelled success on American Idol, and his band’s eponymous debut sold more than 1 million copies in only five weeks. The projectile success of the album, featuring songs “It’s Not Over,” “Home” and “Over You,” resulted in the fastest-selling debut in the history of SoundScan.

Rapper, actor, musician and activist, Mos Def’s sheer versatility places him amongst contemporary pop culture’s premier creators. Musically, his work includes blithe collaborations with legendary group De La Soul and artist Talib Kweli. Def’s partnership with Kweli, the duet album Black Star, resulted in underground frenzy and glowing critical praise. His subsequent solo album, Black on Both Sides, produced more of the same. Nominated for two Grammys, Def also boasts Golden Globe, Emmy and Source award nods.

Serial hitmaker Ben Moody first gained recognition as guitarist and co-founder of the Grammy Award-winning group Evanescence. His output during and after the band has further exposed an adroit singer/songwriter capable of powerful hooks and lush layers; songs including Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life” and “My Immortal,” along with Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You,” sprang from Moody’s id. Collaborations as a producer with Clarkson, Celine Dion, Bo Bice and Lindsey Lohan further emphasize his seemingly limitless versatility.

Super producer and innovative songwriter Polow Da Don’s quintessential hip factor springs from authentic skill. His innate musical savvy has finessed infectious hits including Fergie’s “Glamorous,” the Pussy Cat Dolls’ “Buttons,” Ciara’s “Promise” and Jamie Foxx’s “DJ Play a Love Song.” Fergie’s enthusiastic shout out, “Polow!” on her smash “London Bridge,” made Da Don’s fluid alias a pop culture catch phrase, adding household recognition to the power player’s growing reputation.

Singer/songwriter Anthony Hamilton’s blend of old-school soul and cool contemporary grit is artist’s art in the best sense of the phrase: Members of the neo-soul and poetic hip hop elite including D’Angelo, Tupac Shakur and Eve have looked to Hamilton for backup harmonies, while the North Carolina native’s critically-acclaimed solo work has landed on arguably avant-garde projects including the American Gangster film soundtrack. His 2007 effort, Southern Comfort, features eleven new songs all written by Hamilton.

Brian Howes' life in music did not come as a surprise with a great-great grandfather who was a baritone opera singer, a grandmother who was a songwriter, and a grandfather who played alto sax for swing band greats Benny Goodman and Louis Prima, his career choice was practically predetermined. As part of punk-ska-rap band DDT early on in his career, Brian toured with bands such as Public Enemy, Kid Rock, Alice Cooper, The Scorpion and DOA. Post DDT, he penned hits and earned placements in several movies all while maintaining number 1 and top 10 international hits. Brian then added production to is arsenal and has had success by writing and producing with Grammy-nominated Atlantic band Skillet amongst others. Brian’s recent success has included collaborations with Kara Dioguardi, Shelly Piken, Chad Kroeger, Hinder and Chris Daughtry of American Idol fame for his RCA Records Album.

Elated guests enjoyed an unparalleled afternoon of fellowship and praise as scorching live musical performances paid homage to the honorees. BMI President & CEO Del Bryant also presented an award to esteemed songwriter Percy Bady for penning gospel's most-performed song of 2007, "Um Good." Recorded by Grammy Award-winner Smokie Norful, the tune is the first single from Norful's critically-acclaimed October 2007 release Life Changing. Top gospel artists J. Moss, Kelly Price and Dave Hollister performed harmonious tributes to contemporary and traditional gospel bridge builder Vanessa Bell Armstrong; legendary Mighty Clouds of Joy received rousing musical laudation through performances by Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson and Rance Allen, who was also joined on stage by the Mighty Clouds members for a jaw-dropping encore; and Pastor Marvin Winans received his musical salute courtesy of Grammy-nominated vocalist Anthony Hamilton, songwriter/musician Tommy Simms, 2007 Trailblazers honoree Fred Hammond and Lowell Pye. Performances by Marvin "Coconut" Winans, Jr., Dorinda Clark Cole and Smokie Norful created additional spine-tingling moments, while elite director Donald Lawrence led an all-star background choir.

BMI's Catherine Brewton praised the humbling dedication of the guests and honorees, saying, "BMI is extremely proud of you and all that you do to advance the Kingdom of God through gospel music. The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Vanessa Bell Armstrong and Pastor Marvin Winans: We come together to salute these trailblazers - pioneers who continue to bring us the truth of gospel music."

Those competing for a Golden Globe include Best Original Score nominee Kaki King for Into The Wild, while Best Original Song nominees include Shakira for her musical and lyrical contribution to “Despedida,” from Love in the Time of Cholera; Alan Menken for “That’s How You Know” from Disney’s Enchanted; and John C. Reilly for co-penning “Walk Hard” from The Dewy Cox Story.

Critics’ Choice Award contenders include Alan Menken, up for two awards, including Best Composer and Best Song (“That’s How You Know”) from Enchanted; Best Song nominee Anthony Hamilton for “Do You Feel Me,” from American Gangster; and Best Composer nominee Alexandre Desplat for Lust, Caution.

VH1 will broadcast the 13th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards live on January 7, 2008, while the 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards will telecast live on NBC on January 13, 2008.

The South Carolina native grew up listening to musical heroes like John Anderson and bluegrass great Ralph Stanley, and, when a college professor back home suggested he check out Nashville’s Belmont University, he transferred to Music City and got his degree.

Signing with MCA Records after graduation, he immediately struck a chord with listeners with the gospel-infused single/title track of his debut album, Long Black Train. That “Train” quickly took Turner straight into platinum territory, and the follow up to that album, Your Man, debuted at the top of Billboard’s Country Albums chart and yielded two back-to-back, multi-week, No. 1 singles: “Would You Go With Me” and “Your Man.”

The phenomenal success of that double-platinum album helped him become one of the Top 5 best-selling country artists of last year, and earned him a Top New Artist nod from the Academy of Country Music and a CMA nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year for 2007. In keeping with his country-as-cornbread roots, Turner recently released a special album of country standards through the Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores label, which was lauded by critics and fans alike.

Turner is currently gearing up for the release of his third CD, the aptly titled, Everything Is Fine, set for October 30 release. The album has already produced Turner’s fastest-rising single to date, “Firecracker,” and includes seven songs written or co-written by him. Writers Pat McLaughlin, Shawn Camp, Chris Stapleton, Jeremy Spillman, Anthony Hamilton, and others all contribute to the highly anticipated project, as well as Trisha Yearwood, who sings with Turner on the soaring ballad “Another Try.”

Turner is scheduled to appear on the upcoming CMA Awards broadcast in November, but he experienced one of the biggest moments of a country artist’s career on October 27, when, at 29, he becomes one of the youngest singers ever to become a member of the esteemed Grand Ole Opry. He’ll no doubt perform “Long Black Train” during the induction ceremony, since that historic stage is where he first debuted that song five years ago and received a standing ovation — undoubtedly the first of many in what will likely be a long and distinguished career.

Raised in a small town near Tel-Aviv, Israel, when she served her mandatory military service in the Israeli army, Ben-Ari became entranced by the sounds of Charlie Parker and American jazz. She came to the U.S. to study at the Mannes School of Music in New York City and recorded a well-respected series of jazz albums before branching out into hip-hop and r&b.

An electrifying show with Wyclef John at Carnegie Hall and a breakthrough performance on NBC’s “Showtime at the Apollo,” plus writing, producing, arranging and performing all of the strings on the Kanye West project and guesting on West’s production of Twista and John Legend, quickly catapulted her into r&b consciousness. Performances with West on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Last Call” with Carson Daly and “The Sharon Osborne Show” introduced her unique artistry into living rooms worldwide.

From Israel to the states, from classical to jazz and now to r&b and hip-hop, music is Miri Ben-Ari’s well-stamped passport. She may have a host of influential friends, but on The Hip-Hop Violinist , she’s definitely the one pulling the strings.

Not surprisingly, music has been a constant in the multi-talent’s life. “My brother Scott and I took classical piano lessons from the time we were five years old,” he says, “and by the time we were 10-12, we were playing African, Latin, Cuban music, rap and hip-hop, and in the church on Sundays.”

Growing up in the Brooklyn projects, he says, it was necessary to counterbalance musical prowess with a convincing street image. “Gang members would come up to my floor to listen what we were doing, and it might be Beethoven. That’s when I realized that music’s really a universal language.”

Eventually, Scott decided to teach music, but Mark continued to hone his writing and producing skills. By studying with producers like hip-hop icons Marley Marl and Eric B., Batson developed a style he describes as “figuring out what artists do and bringing out the best of them. I don’t have a personal sound; other producers have a trademark sound, and they get paid a lot of money to bring that sound to a record, but I adapt to what the artists need.”

The big breakthrough came with India Arie’s Acoustic Soul album, which earned seven Grammy nominations on its way to double platinum. Soon after, artists like G-Unit (50 Cent’s backing crew, for whom Batson has done various mixtape compilations), Hamilton and Seal started calling: “I wrote 40 songs with Seal in a four month period, and he’s somebody who might write 10 songs every few years.”

Batson’s latest projects include work on Arie’s next album and a remix of Sting’s “Stolen Car” featuring Black Eyed Peas’ Will.I.Am. Working so constantly has become second nature for him, he says. “It’s really a matter of finding the lane where the artists drive … and sometimes I have to drive really fast.”

BMI saluted the premier R&B, rap and hip-hop songwriters, producers and publishers at its 2004 BMI Urban Awards, staged tonight (8/27) at the Grand Ballroom at the Fontainebleau Hilton Resorts & Towers in Miami Beach.

Pictured at the 2004 BMI Urban Awards are BMI's Del Bryant and Frances Preston, Producer of the Year R. Kelly, BMI ICON honoree Al Green and BMI's Catherine Brewton

R. Kelly won two of the evening's top honors as writer of Song of the Year, "Ignition," and as Urban Producer of the Year. Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams were proclaimed Urban Songwriters of the Year and Universal Music Publishing was named Urban Publisher of the Year. A highlight of the gala was a tribute to soul music legend Al Green, who was named a BMI ICON for "his enduring influence on generations of music makers."

BMI Urban Awards Event Photos

2004 BMI Urban Awards Song List

Al Green: MusicWorld Feature | BMI Awards List

More on BMI and Urban Music

The black-tie ceremony was hosted by BMI President and CEO Del Bryant. President Emeritus Frances W. Preston and Assistant Vice President of Writer/Publisher Relations Catherine Brewton assisted with the presentations to the BMI-affiliated writers and publishers of the 36 most performed songs in the urban music format.

Al Green	R. Kelly	Busta Rhymes

"Ignition," written by R. Kelly and published by R. Kelly Publishing, Inc. and Zomba Songs Inc., was named Urban Song of the Year for tallying the most US broadcast performances during the eligibility period. Included on Kelly's multi-platinum Jive Records album, Chocolate Factory, "Ignition" was a Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop, Hot 100 and Top 40 charts smash.

Mannie Fresh	Nate Dogg	Kanyé West

Kelly collected his second major award of the night when he was crowned Producer of the Year. The BMI Top Urban Producers list also included Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes, Busta Rhymes, Irv Gotti, Jazze Pha, Lil' Jon, Mannie Fresh, Nate Dogg, Kany� West, Mario Winans, and D-Roc and Kaine of the Ying Yang Twins.

Irv Gotti	Jazze Pha	Lil' Jon

The BMI Urban Songwriter of the Year trophy went to the team of Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams - also known as the Neptunes - who placed five titles on the most performed list. The songs earning them the prize were "Beautiful" (recorded by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell and Uncle Charlie Wilson), "Excuse Me Miss" (by Jay-Z), "Frontin'" (Pharrell featuring Jay-Z), "Luv U Better" (LL Cool J featuring Marc Dorsey) and "When the Last Time" (The Clipse).

Mario Winans	Ying Yang Twins

This is the third Urban Songwriter of the Year award for Williams; he also won in 2001 and 2002. At last year's ceremony, Williams took the BMI Urban Song of the Year honor for co-writing "Hot In Herre," and the Neptunes were named Urban Producers of the Year.

Eight songwriters were double winners, contributing two songs each to the most-performed list: Jeff I. Bass, Mary Y. Brown, Eminem, Irv Gotti, Jazze Pha, R. Kelly, Lil' Jon and Sham. Other writer/artists earning awards were Jennifer Lopez, Ja Rule, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Anthony Hamilton, Wayne Wonder and Paul Simon.

Universal Music Publishing was named BMI Urban Publisher of the Year by accumulating the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs. David Renzer, Worldwide President of Universal Music Publishing Group, accepted on behalf of the publisher, which boasted 10 songs on the most-performed list (through its companies Irving Music, Songs of Universal, Inc., and Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.).

Other publishers with multiple award-winning songs were EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. (9); Warner/Chappell Music Group (Unichappell Music, Inc./Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.) (7); Waters of Nazareth Publishing (5); Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc./Zomba Songs Inc., Ensign Music Corporation, Noontime Tunes (3); and Bubba Gee Music, D J Irv Publishing, Eight Mile Style Music, Miss Mary's Music, Nitty and Capone Publishing, R. Kelly Publishing, Inc., White Rhino Music, Inc. (2).

The evening culminated in the ICON tribute to Al Green, who was honored during the dinner with performances by BMI artists Kany� West, Pharrell, Sleepy Brown, Claudette Ortiz and Lloyd. Born in Forest City, Ark., Green blends southern gospel, Philadelphia soul, and a soaring, sensual voice to create music that has rocked our world for four decades. Ranked by many as the world's greatest living soul artist, he became an international superstar through such self-written hits as "Let's Stay Together," "I'm Still in Love With You," "Call Me," "Love and Happiness," "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" and "Tired of Being Alone." Green is in the midst of a remarkable comeback, thanks to his current Blue Note album, I Can't Stop, which reunites him with producer/arranger/songwriting collaborator Willie Mitchell, who first signed Green to the Memphis-based Hi label and oversaw the singer's seminal string of '70s smashes.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer joins an impressive list of previous ICON honorees including country songwriter/artists Bill Anderson and Dolly Parton; R&B legends James Brown, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bo Diddley; "Soul Man" Isaac Hayes; Motown songwriting trio Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland; and pop songwriting master Brian Wilson.

In addition to the BMI performance awards, music trade magazine Billboard recognized the BMI-affiliated writers who had #1 songs on the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Rap Tracks charts during the past year; Kany� West led with four songs, two of which topped both lists.

BMI annually honors the songwriters and music publishers of the most performed songs on American radio in the urban, pop, country, Latin and Christian genres.

Delta is the official airline of BMI's 2004 Urban Awards.