Jay Kay and Top Songwriters Honored at 2017 BMI London Awards

Ed Sheeran Wins Song of The Year for the Second Year With “Love Yourself”; Foals, Bipolar Sunshine and Naughty Boy Also Recognized at London Ceremony

Posted in News on October 9, 2017

BMI tonight proudly honored internationally-celebrated musician and songwriter Jay Kay (of Jamiroquai) with the BMI President’s Award at the 2017 BMI London Awards. Music industry guests including Naughty Boy, Foals and Bipolar Sunshine filled London’s Dorchester hotel to celebrate UK and European songwriters, producers and publishers of the most-performed songs of 2016.

Jay Kay received the BMI President’s Award because of his “originality, which has inspired generations of musicians and fans alike” and joins a list of past honorees that includes Kenny Chesney, P!nk, Willie Nelson, Adam Levine, Gloria & Emilio Estefan, and Toni Braxton. He was presented with the prestigious award by BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill before taking to the Ballroom stage for an acoustic rendition of “Love Foolosophy” and “Space Cowboy.” He thanked his fans, family and all those who supported him over the years, including Jamiroquai founding member and co-writer Toby Smith.

Upon accepting the award Jay Kay said: “I’m very happy to receive this award tonight; it’s been 30 years since I began a career in music, and I’m lucky to still be able to do my thing and express it through songs. There’s still no better buzz really, than starting off with that ‘thing’ in your head and letting it get to the stage where you hear it on the radio, in front of loads of people, all over the world; it’s a real privilege.”

This year BMI expanded its criteria to determine the most performed songs of the year. In addition to terrestrial radio performances and television, for the first time the data also included performances from digital streaming services and satellite radio.

BMI also honored Ed Sheeran with the Song of the Year award (The Robert S. Musel Award) for “Love Yourself,” as performed by Justin Bieber. The prize is given to the most performed song of 2016 by UK or European writers in the BMI catalog. Sheeran also received the Song of the Year award in 2016 for “Thinking Out Loud.”

The Dance Song of The Year was awarded to Jamie Scott, MØ and Ed Sheeran for “Cold Water,” as performed by Major Lazer, Justin Bieber and MØ. Jamie Scott collected the award.

Foals received their first ever BMI London Award for ‘Mountain At My Gates,” and Kyla, Corey Johnson and DJ Paleface were honored for their contribution to Drake’s “One Dance,” with the song sampling their funky house track “Do You Mind.” Also in attendance was Adio Marchant, more familiarly known as Bipolar Sunshine, who was honored with a Pop Award for his track “Middle” with DJ Snake. Naughty Boy’s publishing company Naughty Words was honored with an award for “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith.

In addition, Norwegian songwriting duo Espionage, formed of Espen Lind and Amund Bjørklund, received a BMI Million-Air award for “Irreplaceable” performed by Beyoncé. Fraser T Smith also received a BMI Million-Air award for “Set Fire To The Rain” from Adele’s record breaking, GRAMMY award-winning second album 21. Other artists to be awarded with Million-Air awards include David Bowie for “Changes,” and Modern English, who collected their award for “I Melt With You,” Queen for “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” Eric Clapton for “Wonderful Tonight” and The Police for their hits “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” among others.

Here’s a complete list of the night’s winners:

Song of the Year

(The Robert S. Musel Award)
(crystal awards)

Love Yourself
Ed Sheeran (PRS)
Ed Sheeran Ltd.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing (PRS)

Dance Award

(lucite award)

“Cold Water”
MØ (KODA)
Jamie Scott (PRS)
Ed Sheeran (PRS)
Ed Sheeran Ltd.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing (PRS)

President’s Award

Jay Kay

2017 London Pop Award Songs

ALL IN MY HEAD (FLEX)
Sly Dunbar
Ally Brooke (BMI)
Camila Cabello (BMI)
Brian “Peoples” Garcia (BMI)
Daniel Gonzalez (BMI)
Dinah Jane (BMI)
Lauren Jauregui (BMI)
Nolan Lambroza (BMI)
Julia Michaels (BMI)
Normani (BMI)
Daystar Peterson (BMI)
Brian Derek Thompson (BMI)
Jack Russell Music Ltd.
Maidmetal Ltd.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

BLACK MAGIC
Edvard Erfjord
Henrik Michelsen
Camille Purcell
San Remo Music
Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

COLD WATER
MØ
Jamie Scott
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran Ltd.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

DARK NECESSITIES 
Flea
Anthony Kiedis
Chad Smith

DON’T WANNA KNOW
Kurtis McKenzie
Jon Mills
Adam Levine (BMI)
Ammar Malik (BMI)
John Ryan (BMI)

ENERGY
Christopher Lane
John MacGillivray
Phillip Thomas
Fashion Music
Jack Russell Music Ltd.
Notting Hill Music (UK) Ltd.

GOOD GRIEF
Mark Crew
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

HOW MANY TIMES
Ozan “OZ” Yildirim
Bkorn (BMI)
Chris Brown (BMI)
DJ Khaled (BMI)
Lil Wayne (BMI)
BMG Rights Management GmbH
No Limits One Guido Schulz

HYPE
Kevin Gomringer
Tim Gomringer
Maurice ‘Kenoe” Jordan (BMI)
Anthony Joseph Tucker (BMI)
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

I REALLY LIKE YOU 
Peter Svensson
PS Publishing

IF IT AIN’T LOVE
Talay Riley
Jason Derülo (BMI)
Jordan Johnson (BMI)
Ian Kirkpatrick (BMI)
Marcus Lomax (BMI)
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

LET IT GO
James Bay
Spirit B-Unique Music

LOVE ON THE BRAIN
Fred Ball
Joseph Angel (BMI)
Rihanna (BMI)
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

LOVE YOURSELF
Ed Sheeran
Josh Gudwin (BMI)
Ed Sheeran Ltd.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

LUSH LIFE
Markus “Mack” Sepehrmanesh
Publishing Company Ten AB

LUV
Magnus August Høiberg
Tony “CD” Kelly (BMI)
Daystar Peterson (BMI)

ME TOO
Peter Svensson
Jason Derülo (BMI)
Ricky Reed (BMI)
PS Publishing

ME, MYSELF & I
Tom Barnes
Lauren Christy (BMI)
Michael Keenan (BMI)
Bebe Rexha (BMI)
Universal Music Publishing

MIDDLE
Adio Marchant
Aaron “Aalias” Kleinstub (BMI)
Black Butter Music Publishing Ltd.
BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited

MOUNTAIN AT MY GATES 
Jack Bevan
Walter Gervers
Yannis Philippakis
Jimmy Smith
Because Editions

ONE DANCE
DJ Paleface
Flukes
Corey Johnson
Kyla
WizKid
Digital Music and Media Publishing
Flukes Music
Sentric Music Ltd.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

PILLOWTALK
Zayn Malik
Drop Zed Publishing
Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing

SAY MY NAME
Alexandra Cheatle

SOMETHING IN THE WAY YOU MOVE
Ellie Goulding
Global Talent Publishing Ltd.
Spirit Music Publishing Ltd.

SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH
Alexander Palmer

STARBOY
Thomas Bangalter
Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
Because Editions
Daft Music

SUMMER SIXTEEN
Brian Bennett
EMI Production Music

THAT PART
Kevin Gomringer
Tim Gomringer
Qunicey “Schoolboy Q” Hanley (BMI)
Daveon “Yung Exclusive” Jackson (BMI)
Brock Korsan (BMI)
Kanye West (BMI)
Cydel Young (BMI)
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

THIS TOWN
Daniel Bryer
Niall Horan
Mike Needle
Jamie Scott
Catherine Songs
Downtown Music Publishing
NJH Publishing
Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

WICKED
Özcan Deniz
Future (BMI)
Southside (BMI)
Leland “Metro Boomin” Wayne (BMI)

Cable Award

FEAR THE WALKING DEAD
Paul Haslinger

Film Music Award

A DOG’S PURPOSE
Rachel Portman

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE
Harald Kloser
Thomas Wander

JASON BOURNE
David Buckley

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS
Alexandre Desplat

TV Music Awards

AMERICA’S GOT TALENT
Jos Jorgensen
Andy Love

CHICAGO FIRE
Atli Örvarsson

CHICAGO MED
Atli Örvarsson

CHICAGO P.D.
Atli Örvarsson

GREY’S ANATOMY
Carim Clasmann
Galia Durant

Million Performance Songs

3 Million

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
John Lennon

AM I WRONG
Vincent Dery
Kahouly Nicolay Sereba

CHANGES
David Bowie
Chrysalis Music Ltd.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Tintoretto Music/RZO Music Ltd.

GIMME SHELTER 
Mick Jagger
Keith Richards

IRREPLACEABLE 
Amund Bjørklund
Espen Lind
Ne-Yo (BMI)
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Stellar Songs Ltd.

SET FIRE TO THE RAIN
Fraser T. Smith
Chrysalis Music Ltd.

STAY WITH ME
Sam Smith
Naughty Words Ltd.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Stellar Songs Ltd.

THINKING OUT LOUD
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran Ltd.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing


4 Million

RIGHT DOWN THE LINE
Gerry Rafferty
Stage Three Music (Catalogues) Ltd.


5 Million

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST
John Deacon
Queen Music Ltd.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

ANY MAN OF MINE
Shania Twain

BROWN SUGAR
Mick Jagger
Keith Richards

DANCING QUEEN
Stig Anderson
Benny Andersson
Björn Ulvaeus
Universal Music Publishing

I MELT WITH YOU
Richard Brown
Michael Conroy
Robbie Grey
Gary McDowell
Stephen Walker
Universal Music Publishing

PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM 
Elton John
HST Publishing Ltd.
Universal Music Publishing

TAKE ON ME 
Magne Furuholmen
Morten Harket
Pål Waaktaar
Sony/ATV Music Publishing


6 Million

CANDLE IN THE WIND
Elton John
Bernie Taupin
Universal Music Publishing

CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE
Freddie Mercury
Queen Music Ltd.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME
Sting
GM Sumner
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

MONEY FOR NOTHING
Sting
GM Sumner
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU
Gerry Rafferty
Stage Three Music (Catalogues) Ltd.


7 Million Performances Award

BLACK MAGIC WOMAN 
Peter Green
Bourne Music Ltd.

COME TOGETHER
John Lennon

LET IT BE
John Lennon

WONDERFUL TONIGHT 
Eric Clapton
EPC Enterprises LLP
Warner/Chappell Music Publishing Ltd.


8 Million

DANIEL
Elton John
Bernie Taupin
Universal Music Publishing

EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC
Sting
GM Sumner
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

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