The St. Louis-based quintet may sing about the trials and travails of life, love and being young in the 21st century like the emo and screamo bands that epitomize the teen spirit that drives much modern rock. They do it, however, with a sense of cheeky aplomb, absurdity and pop cultural kitsch, providing a spoonful of sugar that not only makes the medicine go down easily but also enhances its curative powers.

Taking their name from the affable monster in the Jim Henson film Labyrinth, Ludo have won their band-on-the-rise stature the old fashioned way: working the tour circuit from their Midwest base with zealous discipline and devotion. A showbiz sense of entertainment along with music that’s both powerful and catchy has left a growing legion and fans in their wake.

“If this takes off, people will say we came out of nowhere,” observes guitarist Tim Ferrell. But the truth of the matter is, “We slept on floors for five years.”

Ferrell and singer/guitarist Andrew Volpe met in college in St. Louis. The group began to take form when they holed up in a house in Tulsa together. “We went somewhere where we knew no one and could only focus on Ludo and we did that and it worked,” says Volpe. When the two persuaded their friend Tim Convy to join as Ludo’s Moog synthesizer man, the band’s instrumental hook was found. Bassist Marshall Fanciullo and drummer Matt Palermo of Houston round out the act.

A self-titled indie album in 2004 and a 2005 EP-length rock opera, Broken Bride, stoked the buzz Ludo’s live show was already creating, prompting Alternative Press to name them one of its “Bands to Watch in 2007.” Major labels and top indies came courting, and Island Records won out.

Their major label debut, You’re Awful, I Love You, was produced by Matt Wallace (known for his work with Maroon 5, Faith No More and others), and has yielded the Modern Rock chart hit “Love Me Dead.” And the band is happy to have made the leap to the major leagues with their spirit, soul and humor intact, thanks to their producer. “He basically used all his Matt Wallace wisdom to help us realize our vision and make the album that we wanted to make,” says Volpe. “He has a sharp ear and really got out of us what we needed to get out.”

BMI Icons are selected because of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” As BMI Icons, Daryl Hall & John Oates will join elite ranks that include the Bee Gees, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Ray Davies, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton.

The effervescent popularity of Daryl Hall and John Oates’s magical collaborations springs from the duo’s devout passion for Philly soul and buoyant pop harmonies. Warmly accessible and expertly polished, Daryl Hall & John Oates’s smooth production utilizes undeniable hooks and innate contemporary lyrical sensibility. The resulting eight no. 1 singles, three double-platinum and two platinum albums catapulted the pair into pop superstardom; in 1987, Daryl Hall & John Oates became the #1 selling duo in pop music, according to the RIAA. Skilled songwriters, Daryl Hall & John Oates are both members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, together boasting 24 BMI Pop Awards and a catalog studded with 14 BMI Million-Air award songs, including “She’s Gone,” “Everytime You Go Away,” “Kiss On My List,” “Maneater” and “Sara Smile.” They have prompted a surge of interest and homage from a diverse bevy of new artists, who cite the pair as definitive influences. Restless creators, Daryl Hall & John Oates have spent much of the last decade touring throughout the world.

In addition to the Icon, BMI will recognize Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year during the evening, along with the recipient of the BMI Foundation’s John Lennon Scholarship. Pop Award winners from previous years include Maroon 5, R. Kelly, Nickelback, 3 Doors Down, Pharrell Williams, Michelle Branch, Lil Jon, the Foo Fighters, Linkin Park and Sheryl Crow.

Check out live photos from the event

Full BMI Grammy Award Winners List

Unable to attend the ceremony due to a tardy issuance of her visa, Winehouse watched, accepted awards and performed twice via satellite in London. Her innate vintage cool and authentic emotion echoed through her performances of Record and Song of the Year, “Rehab,” along with “I’m No Good.” After claiming the most Grammys of any artist throughout the evening, including Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album, Winehouse’s ubiquitous artistic shadow was most certainly in attendance.

Charismatic rap star Kanye West further emphasized his staying power with wins in Rap Album and Solo Rap Performance of the Year. Honored both as a songwriter and recording artist, West also earned Rap Song of the Year bragging rights for “Good Life.” In addition to garnering accolades for his solo work, West claimed Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his collaboration with Common on “Southside.”

“What a beautiful day this is in Los Angeles!” Herbie Hancock’s visible surprise while accepting his Album of the Year trophy provided a sublimely extemporaneous moment during the telecast. The first jazz project in 43 years to win Album of the Year, Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters features collaborations with numerous contemporary stylists, including Norah Jones and Corinne Bailey Rae. The project also garnered Best Contemporary Jazz Album honors.

BMI’s preeminent rock family enjoyed a successful night as well. The unfaltering Foo Fighters took home Best Hard Rock Performance honors for driving single “The Pretender,” while their Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace earned Rock Album of the Year. Critical darlings and rock purists The White Stripes claimed Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for the title track to Icky Thump, which also garnered Best Alternative Album bragging rights for the enigmatic duo.

Beloved jazz saxophonist and composer Michael Brecker received posthumous awards for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (Individual or Group) and Best Jazz Instrumental Solo. Perennial favorites The Clark Sisters also secured honors for Best Gospel Performance and Best Gospel Song.

Additional winners included Carrie Underwood for Best Female and Keith Urban for Best Male Country Vocal Performances; Calle 13 for Best Latin Urban Album; Ray Price and Willie Nelson for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals; Juan Luis Guerra for Best Tropical Latin Album; Vince Gill’s These Days for Best Country Album; Rihanna’s “Umbrella” for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration; Maroon 5 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals; and Alison Krauss for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

"It's like a night out for margaritas and tequila shots with Maroon 5 and Jack Johnson!"

The band's Spanish/English fusion creates a uniquely contagious sound that unfailingly gets fans on their feet. A quick look at the fan base tells the diverse, culturally transcendent story of this band - breaking boundaries in the tradition of some of the best music of our time.

The band started out as an acoustic duo back in the spring of 2003 when lead singer/guitarist Adam Piotrowski met fellow singer/bassist Felipe Cano at New York City's HB Studio, the esteemed theatre school founded by Herbert Berghof and Uta Hagen. The duo quickly unlocked a strong creative chemistry between one another, naturally blending their musical and personal backgrounds to create an exciting sound. As their music grew, they soon met drummer Jeremy Portwood and percussionist Demian Arriaga who together added an exicitng rhythmic flare to the music.

Their following grew quickly in NYC and the band began packing shows at the city's hottest music venues such as The Mercury Lounge, The Knitting Factory, The Cutting Room, and Crash Mansion to name a few. Soon after they were invited to play with Grammy award-winning artists Ozomatli at the closing show of the esteemed Breckenridge Spring Massive Festival in Colorado, joining a small list of well-known artists who have been given that honor.

Following the release of their debut album, Life Is Good, the band recently relocated to southern California for a host of new opportunities following a wave of press throughout the entertainment and music community including features in Spin Magazine (Nov '06) and Stuff Magazine (Mar '07).

Perhaps it's Volpe's way with words along with the band's commitment to achieving that goal that has made Ludo so successful in the short time they've been together. The band put out their self-titled album at the end of August 2003, having never played a show. Ludo immediately hit the road, playing coffee houses, open-mics, college campuses, and anywhere else people would listen. Before too long, Ludo was headlining clubs and colleges throughout the Midwest and Texas, playing to crowds that were decked out in Ludo cherries and screaming every word. Things only got better as word about the band spread nationally. Fuse got word of the band, and Ludo appeared three times on Daily Download and their video for “Hum Along” was featured several times on Fuse programs - a first for an independent artist.

After a year and a half, over 200 shows, and 3000 copies sold, it was time for a new record. The band put everything else aside and spent the summer of 2005 writing and recording what became the Broken Bride EP. When it was said and done Ludo had created a rock opera - a love story that spanned from the beginning of time to the apocalypse. Music critics embraced the record as “a rock and roll adventure for the ages" and “a competitor for best EP of the year."

In 2006, Ludo signed with Island Records and is currently in the studio with Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, Sugarcult, Faith No More), recording their major label debut.

Now he’s poised for even greater fame, in the wake of “This Is My Now” (co-written with his pastor, Jeff Peabody) being chosen as the tune for the top two finalists of the sixth season of American Idol, Blake Lewis and eventual winner Jordin Sparks, to perform during the May 22-23 finale shows.

“This is just surreal,” Krippayne enthuses. “We believed in the song, but you just never know.”

After beating out some 25,000 other submissions, “This Is My Now” made the cut to the final 20 tunes by AI producer 19 Entertainment’s a&r staff. Over half a million fans cast votes after listening online, with “Now” proving victorious.

The 36-year-old has notched seven national number one 1 singles at inspirational radio, thanks largely to his pop-oriented instincts. “Billy Joel and Elton John were big influences on me — probably Billy more than Elton,” he says. “If you’re a piano player, you tend to choose one or the other as you are growing up.”

While Krippayne is hopeful that “Now” proves to be a “neat stepping-stone to new opportunities,” he maintains that the AI triumph won’t go to his head.

“If I’ve learned anything over the past year or two, it’s that I’ve got a long way to go to really make a difference, to be a true follower of Jesus. That’s where I’ve been living lately, trying to sort out what’s really important in life and how to represent Christ in the world.”

Perhaps it's Volpe's way with words along with the band's commitment to achieving that goal that has made Ludo so successful in the short time they've been together. The band put out their self-titled album at the end of August 2003, having never played a show. Ludo immediately hit the road, playing coffee houses, open-mics, college campuses, and anywhere else people would listen. Before too long, Ludo was headlining clubs and colleges throughout the Midwest and Texas, playing to crowds that were decked out in Ludo cherries and screaming every word. Things only got better as word about the band spread nationally. Fuse got word of the band, and Ludo appeared three times on Daily Download and their video for “Hum Along” was featured several times on Fuse programs - a first for an independent artist.

After a year and a half, over 200 shows, and 3000 copies sold, it was time for a new record. The band put everything else aside and spent the summer of 2005 writing and recording what became the Broken Bride EP. When it was said and done Ludo had created a rock opera - a love story that spanned from the beginning of time to the apocalypse. Music critics embraced the record as “a rock and roll adventure for the ages" and “a competitor for best EP of the year."

In 2006, Ludo signed with Island Records and is currently in the studio with Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, Sugarcult, Faith No More), recording their major label debut.

BMI Icons are selected because of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” The Bee Gees join an elite list that includes Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, James Brown, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton, to name just a few.

Collectively, Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb boast 109 BMI Pop, Country and Latin Awards. Barry received four BMI Songwriter of the Year awards; Robin shared two of these with him. The trio claims four BMI Song of the Year wins for “Night Fever,” “Too Much Heaven” and the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton duet “Islands in the Stream,” which won in both the pop and country categories. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members have earned international industry accolades, including the prestigious Grammy “Legend” Award. Maurice Gibb’s passing in 2003 led to the Gibbs’ decision to cease performing as the Bee Gees, but their music lives on, enriching generation after generation.

In addition to the Icon, BMI will recognize Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year during the evening, along with the recipient of the BMI Foundation’s John Lennon Scholarship. Pop Award winners from previous years include Maroon 5, R. Kelly, Nickelback, 3 Doors Down, Pharrell Williams, Michelle Branch, Lil Jon, the Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, and Sheryl Crow.