Hailing from Ireland, Snow Patrol released their debut album, Songs for Polar Bears, in 1998 on U.K.-based label Jeepster. Their follow-up release, Final Straw, produced by Chris Lord-Alge, was released through Polydor and became the 26th most popular British album of that year. Snow Patrol also became the first U.K. rock act in 13 years to break the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart.

2007 BMI London Awards Song List

Gabriel’s achievements, whether musical, visual or humanitarian, are the work of a true visionary. The co-founder of rock band Genesis, Gabriel left the group in 1975 to begin a critically acclaimed, Grammy Award-winning solo career. Thus far, he has released 11 albums featuring self-penned gems and BMI million-performance songs, including “Big Time,” “Solsbury Hill,” “Sledgehammer” and “In Your Eyes,” and composed soundtracks for numerous films, including Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ. Amongst other bold endeavors, Gabriel founded Real World companies in 1987, housing his recording, publishing, film and multi-media ventures under one progressive roof. An early participant in Human Rights Now! and recipient of the Nobel Peace Laureates’ “Man of Peace” Award, Peter Gabriel founded world human rights advocacy supergroup TheElders.org in July 2007, with Richard Branson and Nelson Mandela.

“Unwritten,” co-penned by Danielle Brisebois and Natasha Bedingfield (PRS), received one of the organization’s highest accolades, the Robert S. Musel Award for Song of the Year. The award, named after the U.S. performing right organization’s longtime consultant to the U.K., annually honors the most-performed song of the year written by a member or members of BMI’s European sister organizations. Published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS) and recorded by Bedingfield, “Unwritten” was the title track to Bedingfield’s platinum-selling debut album.

International phenomenon “Crazy,” co-written by GianFranco Reverberi and GianPiero Reverberi (both SIAE), along with Gnarls Barkley’s Cee-Lo Green, earned BMI’s College Song of the Year crown for tallying the most performances on American college radio. Published by Universal Music Publishing Ricordi srl (SIAE) and Warner/Chappell Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS), the award-winning song first leapt to the top of the British charts solely thanks to digital downloads.

Bestowed on the song with the most hits on BMI-licensed websites, the Internet Award went to James Blunt’s infectious “You’re Beautiful,” co-authored by Blunt, Amanda Ghost and Sacha Skarbek (all PRS), and published by Bucks Music Group Ltd. and EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (both PRS).

The Gorillaz’s “Dare,” co-written by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett (both PRS), took home BMI’s Dance Award. Also published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS) and featuring the vocal stylings of Shaun Ryder, “Dare” debuted atop the UK singles chart, officially making it the Gorillaz’s first No. 1 hit in Britain.

Prestigious “Million-Air” certificates were also presented throughout the evening in recognition of those songs that have achieved over three million U.S. radio and television performances — the equivalent of more than 17 years of continuous airplay. The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” topped the list, with a staggering nine-million performance award for songwriter Sting (PRS). Sting was also honored for five-million performance song “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.” Living legend Van Morrison (PRS) penned two hits on the list: his classic “Brown Eyed Girl,” which has amassed eight million performances, and four million performance song “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You.” Additional “Million-Air” recipients included Sir Elton John, John Lennon, Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Sir Trevor Nunn, Lord Lloyd Webber, Shania Twain and Steve Winwood (all PRS).

KT Tunstall (BMI), Harry Gregson-Williams, Rupert Gregson-Williams, Natasha Bedingfield, James Blunt, Pete Townshend, Snow Patrol members Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly, Paul Wilson, Tom Simpson and Jonny Quinn (all PRS), along with Alexandre Desplat (SACEM) and Karl Bartos (GEMA), garnered multiple awards in recognition of their songwriting skills: each composed two or more songs on the most-performed Pop, Film, Television, Cable, Emmy, Golden Globe or Urban Award lists. Reflecting music’s increasingly global reach, BMI also honored two Jamaican hitmakers alongside the European songwriters and publishers. Don Corleon, writer of "Break It Off" and "When you Gonna (Give it Up to Me),” and “Break It Off” co-writer Kirk Ford both received their first London Awards.

High-resolution photos from the event will be available to registered users only at bmi.com/press. To request access, please contact mediarelations@bmi.com.

When Amy Winehouse’s (pictured, top) Back to Black debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in March, it marked the highest bow by a British female solo artist ever. A few weeks later, Joss Stone’s Introducing Joss Stone smashed her record by debuting at No. 2. James Blunt, Corrine Bailey Rae, KT Tunstall and Snow Patrol are striking gold, if not platinum, in the U.S.

“The current British invasion is due to a number of factors,” posits Evan Lamberg, EMI Music Publishing EVP of Creative for North America. “Top 40 radio is playing less and less hip-hop and rap. This is leaving more opportunity for great non-urban songwriters. VH-1 has done a tremendous job being early champions of these British acts. [Also], these acts are coming over to the U.S. again and again. Nothing replaces the good old-fashioned way of getting your hands in the dirt and taking your music to the people.”

Universal Republic president Monte Lipman, whose label handles Winehouse, Mika and Katie Melua in the U.S., calls these acts “a breath of fresh air. They don’t have a formula.”

For many of these artists, the first point of exposure for U.S. fans has been the Internet. “The industry has democratized where artists are empowered at a grassroots level like myspace,” says David Sinclair, a London-based journalist who writes for The Times.

The latest wave started in 2004 when Snow Patrol quietly crept onto U.S. shores with Final Straw. The Scottish-Irish quintet, with its often intense, always melodic, alternative rock, toured frequently in the U.S., slowly building an audience. By the time Eyes Open came out in the U.S. in May 2006, Americans were ready to hear more. That album’s “Chasing Cars” became the go-to song for hip TV shows, airing on outlets like Grey’s Anatomy, and leading the track to take up residency in the upper reaches of Billboard’s Adult Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts. According to Universal Music International, the album has sold close to four million copies worldwide.

Scotland is responsible for much more than one-half of Snow Patrol and has also given us KT Tunstall. The Scottish lass began promoting herself in the U.S. long before her Relentless/Virgin debut came out in February 2006. Among her memorable gigs was a stirring acoustic set at BMI/Billboard’s SXSW brunch in March 2005.

Her big break in the U.K. came when she performed “Black Horse & the Cherry Tree” on the influential British TV program Later with Jools Holland with less than 24 hours’ notice after another act cancelled. Eye to the Telescope, which had come out to little fanfare, was re-released and eventually shot up to No. 3 on the British album charts.

In the U.S., “Black Horse” has spent more than a year on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart while the second single, “Suddenly I See,” has been locked in the upper reaches of the chart for more than four months. Eye to the Telescope has been on the Billboard 200 for more than 65 weeks.

The latest Scottish imports impacting in the U.S. are The Fratellis. The first major U.S. exposure for the Scottish trio, all of whom have adopted bassist Barry Fratelli’s last name, came from iTune’s use of the utterly infectious “Flathead” in television ads. The trio’s debut, Costello Music (Cherry Tree/Interscope), revels in retro music that sounds instantly recognizable while new at the same time. The group can also be heard on the soundtrack to the movie Hot Fuzz.

While bands like Snow Patrol and the Fratellis are having their day, solo artists like former British Army captain James Blunt are leading the charge.

While many of the U.K.-based acts come to the U.S. via the American label’s U.K. affiliate, Blunt’s entry point was through Linda Perry’s Custard imprint. Perry signed the singer/songwriter after he’d linked with EMI Music Publishing in London. By the time Back to Bedlam came out in the U.S on Custard/Atlantic, the album had already hit No. 1 in the U.K. The first U.S. single, “You’re Beautiful,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first song by a British performer to top that chart in 10 years.

Blunt rode the success of Bedlam and “Beautiful” to five Grammy nominations.

Like Blunt, fellow Brit Corinne Bailey Rae had already hit No. 1 in her native U.K. when she came over here with her sweetly nuanced, mellow tunes. Her self-titled chart topper made her only the fourth female singer in the history of the British charts to debut at No. 1 with her first album. In the U.S., her rise has been no less spectacular, bolstered by major TV exposure via outlets like “Oprah Winfrey.” Rae snared three Grammy nominations, including the coveted best new artist. Her debut has surpassed the platinum mark here, pushed by first single “Put Your Records On.”

While Rae has gotten her share of press, seldom has an artist caused quite the media stir as Amy Winehouse. She’s a critical darling as famous for her beehive and tattoos as her shimmery, soulful, girl-group musical style.

The Enfield, England native’s Back to Black has already sold more than 1.2 million in the U.K. and helped Winehouse capture the Brit Award for best British female artist in February.

“She’s one part soul diva, one part jazz singer and one part rock star,” says Lamberg. “A deadly combo.”

“Fortunately for us, Amy loves to tour,” says Lipman, who notes she’ll play U.S. dates in June and this fall.

Winehouse’s U.S. labelmate Katie Melua was born in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, but ultimately settled in Surrey, England. At 15, Melua won a televised talent competition and was on her way. The classic pop singer released Call off the Search in 2003 and the album went on to sell 1.2 million copies in the U.K. alone. Her second album, Piece by Piece, moved 1.8 million copies in the U.K., with worldwide sales of more than 3 million.

Like Melua, Mika is another British immigrant. His music was created out of the unending loneliness that Mika says often engulfed him after his family moved from Beirut to Paris and, ultimately, to London. Vocally, he’s a cross between Freddie Mercury (whom he references on his first single, “Grace Kelly”) and Robbie Williams. The colorful ’70s, psychedelic pop images that are the album art for Life in Cartoon Motion and his videos are as much a part of his image as his delectable, pop music.

“With Mika, the key word is different,” says Lipman. “Even though people respect the success you’re having, people [at pop radio] look at us kind of sideways and say ‘You expect me to play that?’ and we say your listeners have spoken.” Indeed, the album racked up several consecutive weeks as the No. 1 pop album on iTunes.

Like Mika, Lily Allen’s personality is as big as her music. Her music is classic pop, but she ties in ska, rap and her other influences to create a thoroughly modern and invigorating sound. Not surprisingly, Alright, Still has gone double platinum in her native England and platinum in Europe. It debuted at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and continues to sell well.

Part of the strength of the current British invasion is its diversity. British rapper Lady Sovereign caused waves of excitement when she became the first non-American female signed to Jay-Z’s Def Jam label.

The press excitement has outweighed sales so far, but Sinclair says that’s not surprising given how outside the mainstream her music is. “She’s a grime queen, it’s deep hardcore. It’s like East London rap, drum and bass.” But that edge is what has made the Wembley, England native such a phenomenon at 21. “She’s very alternative,” Sinclair continues. “She’s a name that people like to drop and frequently do.”

Her debut album, Public Warning, entered the Billboard Top 200 at No. 48, but her popularity is sure to rise when she opens for Gwen Stefani this summer.

Similar to Lady Sovereign, Don Corleon relies on street rhythms to propel his sound. The leading Jamaican dancehall artist/producer has helped advance the dancehall movement in the U.S. through his work with such acts as Sean Paul, Rihanna, Beenie Man, Capleton, Bounty Hunter and Wayne Wonder. Kartel, noting a resemblance between the two, allegedly gave Donovan Bennett the Don Corleon moniker, as a takeoff on Marlon Brando’s “Godfather” character, Don Corleone.

As these artists continue to make inroads in America, Sinclair expects today’s success to continue to swell: “Everyone in Britain is trying to make a record,” he says, with only a little overstatement. “It’s a river that’s burst its banks and it’s flowing in all directions.”

Lily Allen	Corinne Bailey Rae	Snow Patrol

Newcomer Lily Allen leads the BMI nominees with a total of four, including British Female Solo Artist, MasterCard British Album, British Single Shortlist and British Breakthrough Act. She will compete against another new voice, three-time nominee Corinne Bailey Rae, in all but the album category.

Also taking home three nods were rock outfit Snow Patrol, whose smash "Chasing Cars" made the single shortlist, and neo-soul duo Gnarls Barkley, who is up for a trio of international awards.

Gnarls Barkley	Amy Winehouse	Kasabian

Double mentions went to 22-year-old singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse, Brit-pop quartet Kasabian and post-punk rockers Razorlight. Former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker is looking to win the British Male Solo Artist trophy, while BMI "Pick of the Month" featured artists The Feeling will vie for the British Single Brit Award with their hit "Fill My Little World."

Razorlight	Jarvis Cocker	The Feeling

Established in 1977, the Brit Awards is a charity event that donates all proceeds to the British Record Industry Trust, better known as the Brit Trust, an organization that encourages the exploration and pursuit of the educational, cultural and therapeutic benefits of music. The Brit Awards is one of the U.K.'s most exciting, most talked about and most successful music events, and is considered the equivalent of the Grammys.

BMI's 2007 Brit Awards Nominees:

British Male Solo Artist
Jarvis Cocker (PRS)

British Female Solo Artist
Amy Winehouse (PRS)
Corinne Bailey Rae (PRS)
Lily Allen (PRS)
Nerina Pallot (PRS)

British Group
Kasabian (PRS)
Razorlight (PRS)
Snow Patrol (PRS)

MasterCard British Album
Amy Winehouse (PRS)
Back to Black

Lily Allen (PRS)
Alright, Still

Snow Patrol (PRS)
Eyes Open

British Single Shortlist
"Put Your Records On"
Corrine Bailey Rae (PRS)

"Fill My Little World"
The Feeling (PRS)

"A Moment Like This"
Written by Jorgen Elofsson and John Reid

"Smile"
Lily Allen (PRS)

"America"
Razorlight (PRS)

"I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker"
Sandi Thom (PRS)

"Chasing Cars"
Snow Patrol (PRS)

"All Time Love"
Written by Jamie Hartman (PRS)

British Breakthrough Act
Corrine Bailey Rae (PRS)
The Fratellis (PRS)
Lily Allen (PRS)

British Live Act
Guillemots (PRS)
Kasabian (PRS)

International Female Solo Artist
Cat Power
Christina Aguilera
Pink

International Group
The Flaming Lips
Gnarls Barkley
Red Hot Chili Peppers

International Album
Gnarls Barkley
St Elsewhere

International Breakthrough Act
Gnarls Barkley
Orson
The Raconteurs
Wolfmother (APRA)

Outstanding Contribution to Music
Oasis (PRS)

All six bands are part of the "BMI Presents..." showcases set for March 15 at Maggie Mae's and March 16 at Opal's Divine during the 20th annual SXSW Music & Media Conference and Festival being held March 10-19.

Like the SXSW conference itself, the "See It Hear First" podcast has become an important tool for exposing new BMI songwriters and artists to key industry professionals and fans alike. Since its release in May 2005, one million listeners from around the world have tuned in to discover new music from a broad range of genres and regions. The industry is paying attention and we have the success stories to prove it: Singer/songwriter Brendan James, who was featured on the very first podcast, was signed to Capitol Records; rock band somedaynew, voted favorite new artist from podcast #1, is on the verge of signing a major label record deal; Latin hip-hop artist Cosculluela has the attention of the world's largest video game publisher; the music of Soulkid #1 was featured on the soundtrack to "The OC"; and recent podcast artist Zac Brown is being courted by several major Nashville labels.

All editions of the BMI podcast are available at bmi.com/podcast, as well as from iTunes at bmi.com/itunes and Yahoo's podcast directory at podcasts.yahoo.com or you can listen on the go with mobile podcasting services like Pod2Mob. The first in the music industry to be listed in Apple's podcast directory, "See It Hear First" is currently rated five out of five stars at Yahoo! and has won the "5 Star Award" from PodSpider, one of the world's largest podcast databases.

In addition to hearing great music from an array of vital new songwriters and artists, podcast listeners can also vote for their favorite artist to help them win a CD duplication package from Disc Makers, the leading CD manufacturer for the independent musician. Winners get 1,000 discs, a prize with a promotional value of more than $10,000.

Sons of William, made up of brothers and Louisiana natives Joe and David Stark, along with New Orleans bassist Annie Clements, combines a thirst for progression with respect for their predecessors. Named after the brothers' mentor and father Bill Stark, the trio is what everyone aches to discover-unpretentious and undeniable rock and roll. See for yourself on "Lucifer Hands."

Three-time Latin Grammy nominee JD Natasha brings her Spanish-language hit "Lagrimas" to the podcast line-up. Her debut album Imperfecta/Imperfect has earned the 18-year-old Latina rocker from Miami extensive critical praise and a large following of bilingual Hispanics in the U.S. who have finally found a homegrown artist to call their own.

Alternative rock band Glass Intrepid has gained a considerable following having played at major venues throughout their home state of Texas and sharing the stage with such big names as 3 Doors Down, Snow Patrol and Mudvayne. The Houston-based quartet is currently receiving continuous airplay on multiple radio stations nationwide. Check out "Your Regrets."

Singer/guitarist Newton Faulkner writes poignant lyrics that flow seamlessly over funky back beats, refusing genre classification. With a voice that glides from silky crooning and crisp raps to everything in between, the UK's newest guitar hero masters the fret board with both hands, creating an inimitable sound all his own. Take a listen to "I Need Something" to witness firsthand why guitar legend Jimmy Page calls Faulkner "a star of tomorrow."

White Stripes/Janis Joplin hybrid Nico Vega is one of the most talked about groups in their hometown of Los Angeles. Singer Aja Volkman's fervent vocal leadership conveys both tenderness and dominance, while guitarist Rich Koehler's rifts mirror the grit in Volkman's pipes and Mikey Pena steadily propels the group forward on drums. Hear what all the fuss is about with "Hollywood Sign."

If early 70s glam and late 70s post-punk had a love child in 2006, We Are The Fury would be it. With influences ranging from Bowie and T-Rex to Talking Heads and Television, WaTF reveals a truly unique sound and style, setting them apart in today's musical landscape. The Toledo, Ohio-bred quintet contributes "Better Off This Way" to podcast #8.]]> 2006-03-13T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/4043 Artists, 3 Doors Down, Alter Bridge, Chevelle, Deadman, Seether, Snow Patrol, Tantric, Theory of a Deadman, Musical Styles, Rock, Musicworld, On The Scene Glass Intrepid is an original alternative rock band based out of Houston, Texas. Comprised of four members: Bryan Scott (vocals/guitar), Robb Marshall (guitar), Reed Lang (bass) and Corey Spahr (drums), Glass Intrepid (GI) has close to seven years total experience as a band. Over the years, GI has gained a considerable following having played at almost every major venue in Houston, Dallas and Austin, as well as numerous venues through out the state of Texas. Glass Intrepid has received continuous airplay on multiple radio stations, including 94.5FM KTBZ “The Buzz” Houston, TX; 107.9FM KEYJ Abilene, TX; 90.3FM WHCR Fordham University New York City; 91.7FM KTRU Rice College Houston, TX; UCLA Radio.com Los Angeles, CA; and 89.5FM WAKE Winston-Salem, NC, just to name a few. Their music video for the single “Good Enough” is currently airing on the Austin Music Network, the premier local music station in Austin.

Glass Intrepid has shared the stage with many national acts such as Papa Roach, 3 Doors Down, Sum 41, Breaking Benjamin, The Used, Snow Patrol, My American heart, The Vanished, The Receiving End of Sirens, The Exies, Drowning Pool, Unwritten Law, Alter Bridge, Mudvayne, Trust Company, Lit and Seether. Glass Intrepid was awarded by Unsigned as the Best Unsigned Rock Band in Texas allowing them to appear at KTBZ’s Buzz Fest XV in Houston, Texas. Glass Intrepid also won a spot on the 2005 Vans Warped tour leading them to recently win first place in the 9th Annual Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands competition out of 10,000 bands nationally. This led to an opportunity to showcase at the Key Club in Hollywood.

Glass Intrepid is legally represented by Nick Ferrara of Serling, Rooks & Ferrara, New York, and managed by In De Goot Entertainment based out of New York, manager for 3 Doors Down, Blackstone Cherry, Chevelle, Deepfield, Dekko, Earshot, Exit the King, Halestorm, Instruction, Life of Agony, No Address, Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, Secretary Bird, Shinedown, Silvertide, Tantric and Theory of a Deadman. In De Goot Entertainment is currently shopping GI to major record labels in hopes of landing a recording contract and begin work on their debut album.

Glass Intrepid has started a buzz in the music industry that is growing by the day. Their love for playing music is evident on stage as they put all their energy into an intense live show. Music is their passion and their very existence, as well as their desire to spread something great to the world.

“Glass Intrepid is quite possibly the best band that Houston has to offer!”

- Zakk United (94.5 KTBZ)

“They have the look, the songs, the energy… Absolutely terrific!”

- Joanne Grand (Senior Director, Rock Formats, Jive Records)

“Glass Intrepid is the best up and coming rock band!”

- Paul Bassman (Manager of Drowning Pool, Dallas, Texas)

BMI London Awards Photo Slideshow

2005 BMI London Awards winners list

2005 BMI London Awards: Million-Airs

"It's My Life," written by Mark Hollis (PRS) and published by Universal Music Publishing Ltd., was named Song of the Year and received the copyright organization's highest accolade, the Robert S. Musel Award. This prestigious award is named for the late Robert Musel, BMI's long-time UK consultant. Originally a hit for 80s synthpop band Talk Talk (of which Hollis was a member), the No Doubt remake also won a Pop Award at the 2004 London Awards and at the 2005 Pop Awards held in Los Angeles.

Mark Hollis	Steve Winwood	Sting

A highlight of the gala celebration was a special tribute to legendary songwriter and recording artist Steve Winwood, who was honored as a BMI Icon for his "enduring influence on generations of music makers." The Grammy Award-winning singer joins a distinguished list of honorees that includes Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton, among others.

Per Gessle	Mats Persson

Winwood's 40-plus year career includes international stardom as both a solo artist and as a member of the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith. He penned such classics as the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" and Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home"; co-wrote all of Traffic's biggest songs, including "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" and "Dear Mr. Fantasy"; and enjoyed a string of mega-hits in the 80s with BMI Award winners "While You See a Chance," "Valerie," "Back in the High Life Again," "Higher Love," "Finer Things" and "Roll With It."

Rolling Stones	Van Morrison

"Run," written by Snow Patrol members Iain Archer, Nathan Connolly, Gary Lightbody, Mark McClelland and Jonny Quinn, and published by Big Life Music Ltd. and Kobalt Music Publishing Limited (all PRS), was named BMI's College Song of the Year for tallying the most performances on American college radio. Included on the band's breakthrough album Final Straw, the song peaked at #15 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart. "Run" also received a Pop Award during the ceremony.

Keane	Enya

The BMI Dance Award went to "Listen to Your Heart" written by Per Gessle and Mats Persson and published by Jimmy Fun Music (all STIM). Recorded by Belgium-based duo D.H.T., the song is a remake of the 1989 #1 hit by Roxette, which won a BMI Pop Award in 1990. The D.H.T. version spent several weeks in the Top Ten of the Adult Contemporary, Hot Digital Songs, Pop 100 and Hot 100 Billboard charts, and reached the #25 position on the Hot Ringtones chart. Original Roxette members Gessle and Maria Fredriksson accepted the award; it was the first public appearance by Fredriksson since her recovery from brain cancer.

Snow Patrol	Elton John

Million-Air certificates were also presented throughout the evening in recognition of those songs that have had two million or more U.S. radio and television performances. Topping the list were Sting's "Every Breath You Take," which reached the eight million performance plateau and the Van Morrison classic "Brown Eyed Girl," which won a seven million performance award. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton's "Layla" each earned certificates for six million performances, while "To Love Somebody" by the Bee Gees was recognized for five million plays.

Sir Elton John (PRS) and writing partner Bernie Taupin took home the night's most Million-Air awards with "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (five million); "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" (four million); "Bennie and the Jets" (three million); and Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" and "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (two million). Songs written by the late John Lennon (PRS) also earned multiple Million-Air certificates, including "Let It Be" (five million), "Here, There and Everywhere" (three million) and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (two million).

Other Million-Air winners included the Kinks anthem "You Really Got Me," written by Ray Davies (PRS), which earned a four million performance award; 2002's Song of the Year "Thank You," written by Paul Herman (PRS) and recorded by Dido, with three million plays; and last year's Song of the Year "Forever and For Always" by Shania Twain (PRS), which achieved two million performances. "Forever" is also a two-time BMI Pop Award winner (2003 and 2004) and a 2004 Country Award winner.

In addition to a two million performance certificate for "Behind Blue Eyes," Who guitarist Pete Townshend (PRS) received three TV Music Awards for the themes to CSI, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY. Film composers Harald Kloser (AKM) [Alien vs. Predator, The Day After Tomorrow], Harry Gregson-Williams (PRS) [Man on Fire, Shrek 2] and Rolfe Kent (PRS) [Mean Girls, Sideways] each picked up a pair of Film Music Awards, while ex-Police drummer Stewart Copeland (PRS) earned a TV Award for the music to ABC's smash series Desperate Housewives.

Additional awards included a Pop Award to Keane members Tom Chaplin (PRS) and Richard Hughes (PRS) for "Somewhere Only We Know," a Country Award to Steve McEwan (PRS) for the Brooks & Dunn hit "That's What It's All About," Pop and Urban Awards to Enya, Nicky Ryan and Roma Ryan (all PRS) for the Mario Winans song "I Don't Wanna Know" (featuring P. Diddy and Enya), and Christian and Pop Awards to Brendan Graham (IMRO) for "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban.

Pictured at the 2005 Ivor Novello Awards ceremony are BMI's Phil Graham, Special International Award winner Lou Reed, Reed's longtime companion and fellow BMI songwriter Laurie Anderson, and BMI's Brandon Bakshi.

BMI's 2005 IVOR NOVELLO AWARD WINNERS

BEST SONG MUSICALLY & LYRICALLY
"Dry Your Eyes"
Writer: Mike Skinner
Performed By: The Streets
UK Publisher: Universal Music Publishing

ALBUM AWARD
The Final Straw
Snow Patrol
Mark McClelland, Jonny Quin, Iain Archer, Nathan Connolly & Gary Lightbody

OUTSTANDING SONG COLLECTION
Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon & Roger Taylor of Queen

SONGWRITERS OF THE YEAR
Tom Chaplin & Richard Hughes of Keane

THE SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL AWARD
Lou Reed

THE IVORS SPECIAL AWARD FOR SONGWRITING
Sir Mick Jagger & Keith Richards]]> 2005-06-07T18:00:01-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/4010 Artists, Snow Patrol, Musical Styles, Pop, Urban, Musicworld, On The Scene The story so far…

“The permanently stoned mob are The Darkness of the hip hop world.”

- KERRANG!

Goldie Lookin Chain are a direct result of the coming together of several of Newport, Wales most twisted minds.  The concepts and ideas have been constantly banded around in various guises since as far back as 1983.  Early experiments carried out by founding member Chon Ben-Wa Balls aka Mr. Love Eggs aka Eggsy, involved the use of ‘Studio Recorder 60’, a portable tape recorder to record favorite dialogue from television shows which were then overdubbed using a myriad of Eggsy’s favorite swear words.

Thirteen years later, co-founder and beatmeister extraordinaire Dwayne Xain Zedong began creating electronic music with his “Rave Generator”.  This device enabled Dwayne to master the principles of sequencing beats and soon a collaboration of the two minds came to pass after a chance meeting in the car park of a deserted college.

Five years later, the GLC began to come into it’s own.  By this time another 21 fully grown adult males had also become inspired enough by this cultural phenomenon to want to add their own personal styles and rhythms to the fast-expanding collection of urban poetry.  The eight piece core of the crew consists of: Eggsy (Mr. Love Eggs), Xain (Dwayne Xain Xedong), Adam Hussain, Two-Hats, Mike Balls (Hardest Man in Soccer Violence), Billy Webb, Mystikal and the Maggot.

After a series of homemade CD-R releases, the band finally decided to perform live for the first time and the summer of 2003 saw the dawn of Goldie Lookin Chain as a live expression of the band’s thoughts and emotions.  The majority of this popularity seems to have sprung from the successful website (www.youknowsit.co.uk) created by the Chain’s resident alchemist and technological dabbler, Mystikal:  “It’s wicked, it’s everything a website should be and much more.  To date we’ve had over a million hits and counting.  We’ve got music, muck, madness and mayhem. To think it all started as a front for my online sex cult “The Church Of The Hidden Truth” is really quite astounding.

Sold out UK and European tours were a familiar sight for the GLC in 2004. Love was spead all across the UK with bands like Snow Patrol, The Darkness and The Streets and a sold out tour of Great Britain in October called An Ounce Don’t Come For Free (in reference to The Streets latest album A Grand Don’t Come For Free). Eyewitnesses claim that these ‘shadowy figures of chaos’ were seen at all the top festivals including Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading, V2004, T in the Park and the Coventry Godiva Festival and Country Fete. In September of last year, Goldie Lookin Chain’s album (called ‘Greatest Hits’ in the UK) was released to critical acclaim, entering the UK charts at Number 5. When we inquired as to the nature of the title, the Maggot (Tallest Man in Hip-Hop) replied, “I’m very much into the works of Freddie Mercury. When Queen released an album called ‘Greatest Hits’, it did very well so we thought we’d have a go”. He wasn’t wrong. 200,000 copies have been sold in the UK alone, the album already spawning four hit singles, with great expectations set for the rest of the world and anyone currently residing in this dimension.

According to Q Magazine, the Goldie Lookin Chain have single handedly switched the entire country of England onto their particular brand of Welsh slang. As you begin your journey, please be aware of the following GLC term: safe as f*ck (a term currently in the process of conquering England) = really good or of the highest quality.

Goldie Lookin Chain’s US debut Straight Outta Newport will be available on Record Collection May 10th, 2005 and they will be setting foot on US soil within the month.  Stay tuned…