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.

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 Hal David Starlight Award, created in 2004, was renamed in honor of the SHOF Chairman for his longtime support of young songwriters. The Hal David Starlight Award recipients are gifted songwriters in the early years of their careers who are making a significant impact in the music industry via their original songs. John Legend joins the prestigious company of Rob Thomas, Alicia Keys and John Mayer as past recipients of the Hal David Starlight Award.

The astounding success of John Legend comes as no surprise to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2002, the Hall recognized the then-named John Stephens, awarding him with its Abe Olman Scholarship for Excellence in Songwriting as the BMI-sponsored artist that year. He had already been attracting attention in Philadelphia, where he was going to the University of Pennsylvania, making his own music and, eventually, playing and writing with such artists as Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Twista and Janet Jackson. West, a collaborator and friend since the two were introduced in 2001, became a John Legend champion, signing him in 2003 as the first artist to his G.O.O.D. Music, Columbia Records-distributed label.

In 2004, Legend stepped into the solo spotlight as a premier singer-songwriter-pianist-performer in his own right with his debut album Get Lifted. Driven in part by the hit singles "Ordinary People" and "Used To Love U," Get Lifted was a critical and commercial triumph, earning Legend eight Grammy nominations. He took the statue home for Best New Artist, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance ("Ordinary People") and Best R&B album, and Get Lifted went on to sell more than three million copies worldwide. No stranger to winning Grammys, this year he claimed his fourth and fifth Grammy award for Best R&B Vocal Performance for his most recent album, Once Again, and for Best R&B Performance by a Duo Or Group for his collaboration with Van Hunt and Joss Stone on the Sly Stone Tribute album, Family Affair.

Commenting on the award to Legend, Hal David said, “John Legend is an outstanding, talented songwriter. He is well-deserving of the Starlight Award, not only shining as a writer with a unique vision, but as an expressive performer as well. We recognized John’s talent in his earlier years, and we are now pleased to honor him with this prestigious award.”

Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame begin at $1000 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, (212) 573-6933. Net proceeds from the event will go towards the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs.

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.

He also co-wrote the Usher smash "Yeah!", which was named BMI's 2005 Urban Song of the Year, and received additional BMI Urban Awards for Ciara's "Goodies" and the Destiny's Child hit "Lose My Breath" at the same ceremony.

BMI's Catherine Brewton and songwriter Sean Garrett

Garrett has lent his songwriting expertise to a number of BMI-sponsored events, including last year's Songwriter101.com panel at the DIY Convention and the 2005 Kauai Music Festival.

A soulful r&b vocalist, Garrett inked his first recording contract with Ariola/BMG at the age of 17 while living in Europe. He was in the process of signing a deal with Warner Bros. when he returned to the States a few years later, but the velvety-voiced prodigy never released an album.

After taking a few years off to attend college, the 27-year-old landed a job as a mortgage broker but quickly realized that his heart wasn't in it. He cites losing his mother as a pivotal moment in his career, when he finally decided to turn his passion for songwriting into his profession.

Having a knack for writing outstanding hits that appeal to a wide fan base, Garrett has established himself as the go-to man for a surefire hit. He has worked with a dazzling array of A-list talent, from Kanye West, Jennifer Lopez, Ciara, Fantasia, Bon Jovi and Janet Jackson, to Destiny's Child, 112, Mario Winans, Donnell Jones and Christina Milian.]]> 2006-01-29T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/234513 Artists, Aguilera, Christina, Busta Rhymes, Jackson, Janet, Muddy Waters, Mya, Pink, Rockwilder, Musical Styles, Pop, Urban, Musicworld, Hitmaker Producer Rockwilder earned his initial entrée into the music industry in the late 1990s by working with pal Redman. On discs like Muddy Waters and Busta Rhymes‘s When Disaster Strikes , Rockwilder showed a penchant for creating terrifically dark, slightly rock-influenced beats that perfectly complemented hardcore hip-hop’s somber themes.

The dawn of the new millennium saw Rockwilder venturing out of his musical comfort zone. He lightened his tone considerably by working on Janet Jackson‘s All For You and with the help of Missy Elliott, he turned the remake of LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade” (by Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya and L'il Kim) into a saucy hit. That song, from the soundtrack to the film Moulin Rouge , got him in the business of creating top-notch movie soundtracks; he went on to make a veritable cottage industry of producing music for films, including Legally Blond, Scooby-Doo 2,Training Day and Friday After Next .

He has continued to diversify his repertoire since his original rap days. Now, his impressive series of collaborations includes r&b artists like Maxwell, Kelis, Me’Shell NdegeOcello and Destiny’s Child, who tapped him for a smooth, tingly re-mix of their hit “Bootylicious.” He’s even created beats for crossover sensations like JC Chasez and Pink.

Rockwilder, born Dana Stinson, has strayed from the hip-hop artist’s traditional trajectory. Urban enough to produce for Mobb Deep but upbeat enough to make Mya’s pop tunes, Rockwilder is proving to be an adept, versatile and creative musician who keeps breaking the mold.]]> 2005-08-02T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/234367 Artists, Avila Brothers, The, Jackson, Janet, John, Elton, Usher1, Musical Styles, Urban, Musicworld, Hitmaker, Type, Important Bobby and IZ Avila, also known as The Avila Brothers, never imagined that their years of hard work behind the scenes of the music industry would get recognition as big as a Grammy nomination. Usher’s Confessions CD, which was nominated for Album of the Year, made this dream come true.

"Never, never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would actually get a chance to be nominated. It almost feels unreal because of the years of hard work doing music you never think that you’ll make it," IZ said.

Although they also have other big names like Janet Jackson and Gwen Stefani among their production and songwriting credits, Confessions was particularly important for them because Usher was an integral part of the creative process.

The Avila Brothers' secret is probably the lack of formulas for success. They just let the music "take its course," IZ says. Allowing the music to flow freely is the way they create. "We just vibe together, whether it is from a word or melody."

Their work on Janet Jackson's Damita Jo was created in similar circumstances, where Bobby and IZ got together and "kind of started jamming with each other," he says.

While it's easy to focus on their songwriting talents, IZ points out that they consider themselves producers first and foremost. It's the focus on the totality of their talents that led them to create something by and for themselves: their latest CD The Mood: Soundsational , which will be released on March 15. This record, as IZ points out, was first of all inspirational, but it actually displays their mastery to make all kinds of music.

"We can do anything, whether it’s hip-hop or r&b or material like James Taylor or Elton John. Our variety of soul is so classic that we said, 'Hey man, let’s do a record that everybody can get into.' Let’s make something that everybody can love. And, we think we did that."

In the days surrounding the release of Get Lifted (Sony Music), every major music publication seemed to weigh-in with a breathless review. Citing tracks like " Used to Love U," "Number One" and the disarming "Ordinary People," Rolling Stone called Legend's music "mannered, even elegant," while the New York Times described his voice as "supple and bold, echoing the gliding, curving lines and impulsive dynamics of Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder, the rasp of Otis Redding and the falsetto of Al Green." Vibe magazine gave Get Lifted its highest rating, writing that the album "advances the kind of genre-pushing spirit that made D'Angelo's 'Brown Sugar' so sweet."

Had the hosannas stopped there, Legend's status as one of the year's most talked-about newcomers would have been secure. But just weeks after his CD hit stores, the singer received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding New Artist (the award show airs on Fox on March 25). Legend has handed a similar vote of industry confidence when he was invited to perform at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards Show, singing "I'll Take You There" alongside Mavis Staples in a special tribute to r&b music.

Released in the waning weeks of 2004, Get Lifted hit the charts running, debuting as the #7 album in the country and the #1 R&B/Hip Hop album on the Billboard tallies. Fueled by the singles "Ordinary People" and featuring guest appearances by Kanye West, Snoop Dogg and Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas, the album was the highest-charting debut recording the week of its release.

The media buzz begged the question: Just who is John Legend? Though often described as a protégé of urban pop wunderkind Kanye West, the record shows Legend is very much his own man. Far from being some sequestered studio artist, Legend built a loyal following performing in New York nightclubs and selling his own independently produced CDs. While still in his teens, he was tapped to play piano on Lauryn Hill's 1998 track, "Everything Is Everything." Before long, he was an in-demand session musician, playing and occasionally writing for such contemporary heavyweights as Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson, Slum Village and countless others.

In 2002, he received the BMI-sponsored Abe Olman Scholarship for Excellence in Songwriting, given annually by the Songwriters Hall of Fame to honor five young composers and lyricists.

An Ohio native, Legend began playing gospel piano at age 5. Confidence was never a problem. "I used to watch Michael Jackson on television … I figured I could do what he was doing," Legend said in a recent interview.

Some 20-odd years later, the singer, songwriter, keyboardist, producer and arranger is fulfilling the promise of his childhood.

BMI's Del Bryant congratulates Abe Olman Scholarship winner John Legend at the 2002 presentation

Although a newcomer, Legend is no stranger to the urban music scene. Considered the first major breakout star of 2005, he is the vocal prodigy of fellow BMI hip-hop star Kanye West, who makes an appearance on Get Lifted, as do Snoop Dogg and violinist Miri Ben-Ari.

Legend (right) is pictured at the 2004 BMI Urban Awards with Kanye West and Miri Ben-Ari

Born John Stephens in Springfield, OH, the 26-year-old musician was definitely an early starter. He began studying classical piano at five and, under the tutelage of his late grandmother, he sang gospel music and played piano at the Pentecostal Church by age seven. He graduated from high school when he was only 16. His first big break came in 1998 while attending the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he met Lauryn Hill's back-up singer, Tara Watkins, who brought John to one of Lauryn's recording sessions in New Jersey. After hearing John's demo, Hill invited him to play on her hit single, "Everything is Everything" from her multiple Grammy-winning CD The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Since then, Legend has appeared on various recordings, including on West's, as well as on albums by Alicia Keys, Twista, Talib Kweli and others. Critics have hailed him as the "soul savior," both for his singing and his songwriting, which defies the cookie-cutter norm of today's urban music.

Kanyé West	Sheryl Crow	Norah Jones

Also crossing genres were double nominees Sheryl Crow, up for Favorite Artist in both the pop/rock and adult contemporary fields, and Norah Jones, who will compete with Crow for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist, while her sophomore release Feels Like Home got a bid for Favorite Pop/Rock Album.

Toby Keith	Martina McBride	Josh Groban

Country superstar Toby Keith also received two mentions, earning the Favorite Male Artist nod for the second year in a row. His triple platinum smash, Shock'n Y'All, is up for Favorite Country Album, which he won last year for Unleashed. Keith faces fellow BMI country artist Martina McBride, herself a double AMA nominee, in the favorite album category; she is also vying for the Favorite Female Country Artist crown.

Nominations for the American Music Awards are based on sales figures and radio play, and winners are selected by a survey of about 20,000 listeners. The 2004 American Music Awards will take place on November 14 in Los Angeles.

Harry Connick, Jr.	Maroon 5

BMI's 2004 American Music Award nominees:

POP/ROCK
Favorite Male Artist
Josh Groban

Favorite Female Artist
Sheryl Crow

Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Evanescence
Nickelback

R. Kelly	Evanescence

Favorite Album
Feels Like Home
Norah Jones

SOUL/R&B
Favorite Male Artist
R. Kelly

Favorite Female Artist
Janet Jackson

Tim McGraw	Nickelback

COUNTRY
Favorite Male Artist
Toby Keith
Tim McGraw

Favorite Female Artist
Martina McBride

Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Brooks & Dunn
Lonestar
Rascal Flatts

Favorite Album
Shock'n Y'All
Toby Keith
Martina
Martina McBride

RAP/HIP-HOP
Favorite Male Artist
Juvenile
Lil' Flip
Kanyé West

Favorite Album
The College Dropout
Kanyé West

ALTERNATIVE
Favorite Artist
Linkin Park

ADULT CONTEMPORARY
Favorite Artist
Harry Connick, Jr.
Sheryl Crow
Norah Jones

LATIN
Favorite Artist
Intocable

CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Favorite Artist
Steven Curtis Chapman

BREAKTHROUGH/FAVORITE NEW ARTIST (all genres)
Maroon 5
Kanyé West