BMI Honors Top European Writers, Publishers at 2005 London Awards; Steve Winwood Named a BMI Icon
BMI saluted the top European songwriters and publishers in the pop, urban, country, dance, Latin, college, Christian and film/tv music genres at its 2005 London Awards held November 29. The gala dinner and awards ceremony, which honors the most performed songs on U.S. radio and television written by members of its foreign sister societies, was hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and BMI Senior Vice President Phil Graham. The invitation-only event was staged in the Ballroom of London's Dorchester Hotel.
BMI London Awards Photo Slideshow
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.
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| 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.
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| 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."
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
Below is the complete list of 2005 BMI London Award winners:
CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS
Adult Contemporary
YOU RAISE ME UP
Brendan Graham (IMRO)
peermusic (UK) Ltd. (PRS)
Selah
Christian Hit Radio
YOU RAISE ME UP
Brendan Graham (IMRO)
peermusic (UK) Ltd. (PRS)
Selah
COUNTRY AWARDS
IT ONLY HURTS WHEN I'M BREATHING
Shania Twain (PRS)
Shania Twain
ROUGH & READY
Blair MacKichan (PRS)
BMG Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
Trace Adkins
THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT
Steve McEwan (PRS)
BMG Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
Trinifold Music Ltd. (PRS)
Brooks & Dunn
LATIN AWARD
Una Emoción Para Siempre
Adelio Cogliati (SIAE)
Maurizio Fabrizio (SIAE)
Claudio Guidetti (SIAE)
Martin Ortiz Milagrosa (SIAE)
Eros Ramazzotti (SIAE)
EMI Music Publishing Italia SRL (SIAE)
Universal Músic Italia (SIAE)
Eros Ramazzotti
POP AWARDS
ALL NITE (DON'T STOP)
Anders Bagge (STIM)
Herbie Hancock (BMI)
Paul Jackson (BMI)
Melvin "Wah Wah Watson" Ragin (BMI)
EMI Music Publishing Scandinavia AB (STIM)
Janet Jackson
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
Roger Waters (PRS)
Roger Waters Music Overseas Ltd. (PRS)
Korn
ANSWER IN THE SKY
Sir Elton John (PRS)
Elton John
BOUNCE
Buelent Aris (GEMA)
Tony Cottura (GEMA)
Anthony Freeman (GEMA)
George Glueck Publishing GmbH (GEMA)
Hanseatic Musikverlag GmbH (GEMA)
Sarah Connor
COME WITH ME
Phil Collins (PRS)
Phil Collins
FOREVER AND FOR ALWAYS (2nd Award)
Shania Twain (PRS)
Shania Twain
GOT SOME TEETH
Trevor Horn (PRS)
Jeff I. Bass (BMI)
Kevin Bell (BMI)
Eminem (BMI)
Steven King (BMI)
Unforgettable Songs Ltd. (PRS)
Obie Trice
HEAVEN
Patrick Dahlheimer (BMI)
Chad Gracey (BMI)
Ed Kowalczyk (BMI)
Chad Taylor (BMI)
BMG Music Publishing International (PRS)
Live
HOLE IN THE HEAD
Keisha Buchanan (PRS)
Mutya Buena (PRS)
EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
Sugababes
I DON'T WANNA KNOW
Enya (PRS)
Nicky Ryan (PRS)
Roma Ryan (PRS)
Mario Winans (BMI)
EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
Mario Winans featuring P. Diddy & Enya
I'M READY
Lukas Burton (PRS)
Sacha Skarbek (PRS)
Kara DioGuardi (BMI)
Jamie Hartman (BMI)
Bucks Music Group Ltd. (PRS)
Reverb 2 Music Ltd. (PRS)
Reverb Music Ltd. (PRS)
Cherie
IT'S MY LIFE (2nd Award)
Mark Hollis (PRS)
Universal Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
No Doubt
LOVE'S DIVINE
Seal (PRS)
Mark Batson (BMI)
Perfect Songs Ltd. (PRS)
Seal
NAUGHTY GIRL
Peter Bellotte (GEMA)
Giorgio Moroder (GEMA)
Notting Hill Music UK Ltd. (PRS)
Warner/Chappell Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
Beyoncé
NOT GONNA GET US
Trevor Horn (PRS)
Elena Kiper (RAO)
Valerij Polienko (PRS)
Ivan Shapovalov (RAO)
BMG Music Publishing International (PRS)
EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
Unforgettable Songs Ltd. (PRS)
t.A.T.u.
PERSONAL JESUS
Martin Gore (PRS)
EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
Marilyn Manson
RUN
Iain Archer (PRS)
Nathan Connolly (PRS)
Gary Lightbody (PRS)
Mark McClelland (PRS)
Jonny Quinn (PRS)
Big Life Music Ltd. (PRS)
Kobalt Music Publishing Limited (PRS)
Snow Patrol
SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW
Tom Chaplin (PRS)
Richard Hughes (PRS)
BMG Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
Keane
TURN ME ON
Raeon Primus (COTT)
Daron Jones (BMI)
Kevin Lyttle (BMI)
EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
Kevin Lyttle
YOU RAISE ME UP
Brendan Graham (IMRO)
peermusic (UK) Ltd. (PRS)
Josh Groban
URBAN AWARDS
I DON'T WANNA KNOW
Enya (PRS)
Nicky Ryan (PRS)
Roma Ryan (PRS)
Mario Winans (BMI)
EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
Mario Winans featuring P.Diddy & Enya
I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU
Cleveland Browne (PRS)
Alton Ellis (PRS)
EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
Sparta Florida Music Group Ltd. (PRS)
Sean Paul featuring Sasha
NAUGHTY GIRL
Peter Bellotte (GEMA)
Giorgio Moroder (GEMA)
Notting Hill Music UK Ltd. (PRS)
Warner/Chappell Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
Beyoncé
ON FIRE
Harry Palmer (PRS)
Eminem (BMI)
Kwamé (BMI)
Sparta Florida Music Group Ltd. (PRS)
Lloyd Banks
CABLE AWARD
NEWLYWEDS: NICK & JESSICA
John Reid (PRS)
FILM MUSIC AWARDS
ALIEN VS. PREDATOR
Harald Kloser (AKM)
THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
Harald Kloser (AKM)
HITCH
George Fenton (PRS)
MAN ON FIRE
Harry Gregson-Williams (PRS)
MEAN GIRLS
Rolfe Kent (PRS)
SHREK 2
Harry Gregson-Williams (PRS)
SIDEWAYS
Rolfe Kent (PRS)
TV MUSIC AWARDS
THE AMAZING RACE 7
Christopher Franke (GEMA)
CSI
Pete Townshend (PRS)
CSI: MIAMI
Pete Townshend (PRS)
CSI: NY
Pete Townshend (PRS)
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Stewart Copeland (PRS)
EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION
Dain Blair (GEMA)
GREY'S ANATOMY
Carim Clasmann (PRS)
Galia Durant (PRS)
HOUSE
Robert Del Naja (PRS)
Grantley Marshall (PRS)
Andrew Vowles (PRS)
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