Stevie Nicks Wins in a ‘Landslide’ at BMI Country Awards; Steele Named Songwriter of the Year
Special Tribute Honors Dolly Parton as BMI ICON
BMI presented its Country Awards last night (11/4), recognizing the songwriters and publishers of the past year's 50 most performed country songs. Ultimate honors went to the Stevie Nicks-penned "Landslide" as Song of the Year; to Jeffrey Steele as Songwriter of the Year; and to Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville as Publisher of the Year. A highlight of the evening was the tribute to Dolly Parton, who was honored as a BMI ICON. The BMI Country Awards -- country music's oldest awards celebration -- were hosted by President & CEO Frances W. Preston and Vice President Paul Corbin at the company's Music Row offices.
| More Info | ||
| Click for bios of: Stevie Nicks | Jeffrey Steele | Dolly Parton | |
"Landslide" earned songwriter Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac the 35th Robert J. Burton Award as Most Performed Country Song of the Year. This distinction is given to the song tallying the most feature US broadcast performances during the eligibility period. Nicks is also publisher of the song, through her company Welsh Witch Music. Included on the Dixie Chicks' platinum Monument album Home, "Landslide" was a Country, Adult Top 40, Hot 100 and AC Billboard charts smash. Nicks previously collected a Pop Award in 1998 for Fleetwood Mac's recording of the song, which has achieved Million-Air status with over three million airplays.
 Stevie Nicks | Bio |  Jeffrey Steele | Bio |  Dolly Parton | Bio |
Jeffrey Steele claimed the title of Songwriter of the Year by placing four songs on the list of 50: "Chrome" (Trace Adkins), "The Cowboy In Me" [2nd Award] (Tim McGraw), "My Town" (Montgomery Gentry) and "These Days" (Rascal Flatts). Steele's BMI Awards total now stands at 14, with 11 Million-Air songs [16 million performances total].
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville claimed BMI Country Publisher of the Year by accumulating the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs. President & CEO Donna Hilley accepted on behalf of the publisher, which placed 12 songs on the most-performed list [through its companies Sony/ATV Tree and Sony/ATV Acuff Rose]: "Brokenheartsville," "I Keep Looking," "I Miss My Friend," "Living and Living Well," "A Lot Of Things Different," "Man To Man," "My Heart Is Lost To You," "Red Rag Top," "She'll Leave You With A Smile," "Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo," "These Days," and "What If She's An Angel."
Dolly Parton was saluted as a BMI ICON for her "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." After a video tribute, Kris Kristofferson and Porter Wagoner took the stage to share reminiscences. Closing the program were performances by Lee Ann Womack, who sang "Jolene," and Vince Gill, who performed "I Will Always Love You."
With her first solo hit "Dumb Blonde" in 1967, Parton launched a career that helped revolutionize the world of country music for women and, through her songwriting, performing, film & television projects and entrepreneurial ventures, has made her one of the most successful and recognizable artists in history.
She has scored with more than 100 charting songs -- including 24 #1s -- and has collected 37 BMI Country and Pop Awards for such classics as "I Will Always Love You," "9 To 5," "Jolene," "Two Doors Down," "To Daddy," "Here You Come Again" and "Love Is Like A Butterfly." A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame since 1999, she is nominated as Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2003 CMA Awards. Parton enters the elite company of previously honored BMI ICONs: James Brown, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Little Richard, Isaac Hayes, Motown songwriting trio Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Edward Holland, and last year's Country ICON, Bill Anderson.
Of the 64 songwriters recognized, nine joined Steele as multiple winners: Tony Martin and Tom Shapiro with three songs each; Al Anderson, Toby Keith, David Lee, Lee Thomas Miller, Mark Nesler, Tia Sillers and Troy Verges with two each.
Additional publishers with three or more awards were Songs of Windswept Pacific; Universal Music Publishing Group; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.; Mosaic Music; Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc./Zomba Songs Inc.; EMI Music Publishing; Steele's companies Gottahaveable Music/My Life's Work Music; and Shapiro's company Wenonga Music.
Among this year's honorees, 24 songs have reached the status of BMI Million-Air (accumulating at least one million broadcast performances) for a total of over 32 million performances. Based on an average length of three minutes, one million airplays is the equivalent of 50,000 hours or 5.7 years, continuously; Million-Airs on the 2003 Country list translate into 1.6 million hours or 185 years of continuous airplay. In addition to "The Cowboy In Me," songs cited for the second consecutive year were Million-Airs "Blessed," "Bring On the Rain," "I'm Movin' On" and "Young."
BMI's Citation of Achievement awards are given annually in recognition of popularity in the field of country music, as measured by feature broadcast performances on American radio and television; the 2003 Country Awards eligibility period ran April 1, 2002 through March 31, 2003.
BMI represents approximately 300,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in all areas of music. It collects license fees on behalf of American creators, as well as for thousands of creators from around the world who haven chosen BMI for American representation. The fees for the public performances of its repertoire are then distributed as royalties to the writers and copyright holders BMI represents. These performances include radio airplay, broadcast and cable television carriage and live and recorded performances by other music customers, including but not limited to the Internet, cell phone ring tones, restaurants and clubs, retail outlets, and music-on-hold.
Below is the complete list of 2003 BMI Country Music Award winners:
THE BABY
Harley Allen
Coburn Music, Inc.
Blake Shelton
Warner Bros. Nashville
BEAUTIFUL MESS
Sonny LeMaire
Shane Minor
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Monkey C Music
Shane Minor Music
Songs of API
Songs of Nashville DreamWorks
Diamond Rio
Arista Nashville
BEFORE I KNEW BETTER
David Lee
Bryan Simpson
Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc.
Lucky Thumb Music
Mr. Noise Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Brad Martin
Epic Records
BLESSED (2nd Award)
Troy Verges
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Martina McBride
RCA
BRING ON THE RAIN (2nd Award)
Helen Darling
Billy Montana
Bro 'N Sis Music, Inc.
Estes Park Music
Little Chatterbox Music
Mike Curb Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Jo Dee Messina w/Tim McGraw
Curb Records
BROKENHEARTSVILLE
Randy Boudreaux
Clint Daniels
Donny Kees
Borchetta Shafer Music
Hardwood Acres Publishing LLC
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Sony/ATV Tree
Joe Nichols
Universal South
CHROME
Jeffrey Steele
My Life's Work Music
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Yellow Desert Music
Trace Adkins
Capitol Nashville
COURTESY OF THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE (THE ANGRY AMERICAN)
Toby Keith
Tokeco Tunes
Toby Keith
DreamWorks Nashville
THE COWBOY IN ME (2nd AWARD)
Al Anderson
Jeffrey Steele
Gottahaveable Music
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Stairway to Bittner's Music
Tim McGraw
Curb Records
CRY
Angie Aparo
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Potty Mouth Publishing
Rounded Music
Faith Hill
Warner Bros. Nashville
EVERY RIVER
Tom Littlefield
Kim Richey
Door Number One Music
Mighty Nice Music
Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.
Wait No More Music
Brooks & Dunn
Arista Nashville
THE GOOD STUFF
Jim Collins
Make Shift Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Kenny Chesney
BNA
HELP ME UNDERSTAND
Wayne Hector (PRS)
Steve Mac (PRS)
Irving Music
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Trace Adkins
Capitol Nashville
I CRY
Mark Selby
Tia Sillers
Bro 'N Sis Music, Inc.
Choice Is Tragic Music
Ensign Music Corporation
Estes Park Music
Tammy Cochran
Epic Records
I DON'T HAVE TO BE ME ('TIL MONDAY)
Steve Azar
R.C. Bannon
Jason Young
Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc.
Mas Venture Music
Misterssippi Music
Steve Azar
Mercury Nashville
I JUST WANNA BE MAD
Lee Thomas Miller
Hold Jack Music
Mosaic Music
Terri Clark
Mercury Nashville
I KEEP LOOKING
Sara Evans
Tony Martin
Tom Shapiro
Mosaic Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Wenonga Music
Sara Evans
RCA
I MISS MY FRIEND
Tony Martin
Mark Nesler
Tom Shapiro
Buna Boy Music
Glitterfish Music, Inc.
Mosaic Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Wenonga Music
Darryl Worley
DreamWorks Nashville
I SHOULD BE SLEEPING
Shaye Smith
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Zomba Songs Inc.
Emerson Drive
DreamWorks Nashville
I'M GONNA GETCHA GOOD!
Shania Twain
Loon Echo, Inc.
Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.
Shania Twain
Mercury Nashville
I'M MOVIN' ON (2nd Award)
Phillip White
Murrah Music Corporation
Rascal Flatts
Lyric Street
THE IMPOSSIBLE
Lee Thomas Miller
Mosaic Music
Joe Nichols
Universal South
JUST WHAT I DO
Keith Burns
Hapsack Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Trick Pony
Warner Bros. Nashville
LANDSLIDE
Stevie Nicks
Welsh Witch Music
Dixie Chicks
Monument Records
LIVING AND LIVING WELL
Tony Martin
Mark Nesler
Tom Shapiro
Buna Boy Music
Glitterfish Music, Inc.
Mosaic Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Wenonga Music
George Strait
MCA Nashville
A LOT OF THINGS DIFFERENT
Bill Anderson
Dean Dillon
Mr. Bubba Music, Inc.
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Sony/ATV Tree
Kenny Chesney
BNA
MAN TO MAN
Jamie O'Hara
Magic Knee Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Gary Allan
MCA Nashville
MY HEART IS LOST TO YOU
Brett Beavers
Sony/ATV Tree
Brooks & Dunn
Arista Nashville
MY LIST
Rand Bishop
Songwriters Paddock Music
Weightless Cargo Music
Toby Keith
DreamWorks Nashville
MY TOWN
Reed Nielsen
Jeffrey Steele
Gottahaveable Music
Singletrack Music
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Montgomery Gentry
Columbia Records
NEXT BIG THING
Al Anderson
Vince Gill
John Hobbs
Little Blue Box Music
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Stairway to Bittner's Music
Vinny Mae Music
Vince Gill
MCA Nashville
19 SOMETHIN'
David Lee
Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc.
Mark Wills
Mercury Nashville
OL' RED
Bo Bohon
Don Goodman
Mark Sherrill
Bull's Creek Publishing, Inc.
Key Mark Music
Blake Shelton
Warner Bros. Nashville
PICTURE
Sheryl Crow
Kid Rock
Old Crow Music
Thirty-Two Mile Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Kid Rock w/Sheryl Crow on Lava/Atlantic
Kid Rock w/Allison Moorer on Universal South
RED RAG TOP
Jason White
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Tim McGraw
Curb Records
SHE WAS
Neal Coty
Murrah Music Corporation
Mark Chesnutt
Columbia Records
SHE'LL LEAVE YOU WITH A SMILE
Jay Knowles
Big Yellow Dog Music
Sony/ATV Tree
George Strait
MCA Nashville
SOMEBODY LIKE YOU
Keith Urban
Coburn Music, Inc.
Keith Urban
Capitol Nashville
STRONG ENOUGH TO BE YOUR MAN
Travis Tritt
Post Oak Publishing
Travis Tritt
Columbia Records
TEN ROUNDS WITH JOSE CUERVO
Casey Beathard
Michael Heeney
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Tracy Byrd
RCA
THAT'D BE ALRIGHT
Tim Nichols
Tia Sillers
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Ensign Music Corporation
Life Is Fine Music
Ty Land Music
Alan Jackson
Arista Nashville
THAT'S JUST JESSIE
Kevin Denney
Maleah Music
March Family Music
Kevin Denney
Lyric Street
THESE DAYS
Steve Robson (PRS)
Jeffrey Steele
Danny Wells
Gottahaveable Music
Irving Music
Songs of Teracel
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Sony/ATV Tree
Rascal Flatts
Lyric Street
'TIL NOTHING COMES BETWEEN US
Kerry Harvick
Hope-N-Cal Music
John Michael Montgomery
Warner Bros. Nashville
TONIGHT I WANNA BE YOUR MAN
Troy Verges
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Andy Griggs
RCA
TRAVELIN' SOLDIER
Bruce Robison
Bruce Robison Music
Tiltawhirl Music
Dixie Chicks
Monument Records
WHAT IF SHE'S AN ANGEL
Bryan Wayne
Cake Taker Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Tommy Shane Steiner
RCA
WHERE WOULD YOU BE
Rick Ferrell
Mr. Noise Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
We Make Music
Martina McBride
RCA
WHO'S YOUR DADDY?
Toby Keith
Tokeco Tunes
Toby Keith
DreamWorks Nashville
YOUNG (2nd Award)
Steven McEwan (PRS)
Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc.
Kenny Chesney
BNA
Community
Connect with BMI & Professional Songwriters