Dwight Yoakam Receives BMI President’s Award at 2019 BMI Country Awards

BMI presented its 2019 BMI Country Awards last night, honoring the prolific musical career of BMI President’s Award recipient Dwight Yoakam, as well as the Country Songwriter, Song and Publisher of the Year. The 67th annual event, which is the genre’s oldest awards ceremony, also celebrated the songwriters and publishers of the most-performed country songs of the previous year. BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill hosted the ceremony at the Company’s office in Nashville, along with Jody Williams, BMI Vice President, Creative, Nashville.

Yoakam, who was named this year’s BMI President’s Award honoree, joins an elite list of songwriters including Kenny Chesney, P!nk, Harlan Howard, Brooks & Dunn, Pitbull, Adam Levine, Billy Sherrill, Toni Braxton, and others who have distinctly and profoundly influenced the music industry. During the evening, rising country star Jon Pardi, supergroup The Highwomen, with guitar aficionado Jason Isbell, and country purist Margo Price with the legendary Bob Weir, paid musical tribute to Yoakam. Pardi brought his signature twang for an old-school rendition of “Guitars, Cadillacs,” while Margo Price and Bob Weir gave a rocking outlaw version of “Fast as You.” Finally, Nashville’s hottest supergroup, The Highwomen, serenaded the crowd with the perennial Yoakam favorite “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere,” with Isbell leading the band on guitar.

Early in the evening, Mike O’Neill and Jody Williams presented Del and Dane Bryant with the inaugural Evergreen Award for “Rocky Top,” written by BMI writers Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. The Evergreen Award recognizes those one-of-a-kind songs that have left an unforgettable imprint on our lives and an enduring legacy through the years. In addition to the presentation of the award, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder performed a rousing bluegrass version of the song. Senator Lamar Alexander, BMI Icon Dolly Parton, and two-time Superbowl winner and former UT quarterback Peyton Manning contributed videos paying homage to the song’s place in the history of country music, as well as within the state of Tennessee.

The coveted Songwriter of the Year award was presented to first-time winner Nicolle Galyon and third-time winner Ross Copperman, who are each responsible for four of this year’s award-winning songs. Galyon is the first female to be named BMI Country Songwriter of the Year since Taylor Swift took the title in 2010. Her writing credits include Lee Brice’s “Boy,” Keith Urban’s “Coming Home,” Lady Antebellum’s “Heartbreak” and Dan + Shay’s “Tequila,” which was named 2019 BMI Song of the Year later in the evening. Copperman, who also took the title this year, is responsible for Kenny Chesney’s “Get Along,” Blake Shelton’s “I Lived It,” Justin Moore’s “Kinda Don’t Care” and Dierks Bentley’s “Woman, Amen.”

Dan + Shay’s “Tequila” was named 2019 BMI Country Song of the Year. Published by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Group and written by BMI Songwriter of the Year recipient Nicolle Galyon and ASCAP’s Dan Smyers and Jordan Reynolds, the immensely successful crossover track was the most-performed country song of the year.

Taking home the Publisher of the Year accolade was Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Group, which is responsible for 24 of the 50 most-performed songs of the year, including megahits such as Luke Combs’ “Beautiful Crazy,” Keith Urban’s “Coming Home” featuring Julia Michaels, Dan + Shay’s “Tequila,” Jason Aldean’s “Drowns The Whiskey” featuring Miranda Lambert, and Morgan Wallen’s “Up Down,” featuring Florida Georgia Line. During the ceremony, BMI also saluted the songwriters and publishers of the 50 most-performed country songs of the previous year.

Below is a list of the night’s winners. Congratulations to all!

SONG OF THE YEAR

TEQUILA
Nicolle Galyon
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

SONGWRITERS OF THE YEAR

ROSS COPPERMAN
Get Along
I Lived It
Kinda Don’t Care
Woman, Amen

NICOLLE GALYON
Boy
Coming Home
Heart Break
Tequila

PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR

WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP.
Beautiful Crazy
Boy
Burn Out
Coming Home
Cry Pretty
Drowns the Whiskey
Good Girl
Heart Break
Hooked
I Lived It
Kinda Don’t Care
Kiss Somebody
Life Changes
Lose It
Mercy
One Number Away
Rich
She Got the Best of Me
Speechless
Take Back Home Girl
Tequila
The Ones That Like Me
There was This Girl
Up Down

EVERGREEN AWARD

ROCKY TOP

PRESIDENT’S AWARD

DWIGHT YOAKAM

2019 COUNTRY AWARDS TOP 50 SONGS

BABE
Taylor Swift
Sony/ATV Tree
Taylor Swift Music

BEAUTIFUL CRAZY
Luke Combs
Rob Williford
50 Egg Music
Big Music Machine
Rowdy Rob Music
Straight Dimes Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Works of RHA

BEST SHOT
JP Williams
Blonde Leading Blind
Rio Bravo Music

BLUE TACOMA
Russell Dickerson
Parker Welling
BMG Platinum Songs US
Hillbilly Science and Research Publishing
Kailey’s Dream
Music That Is Russelled
Trailerparker Music

BOY
Nicolle Galyon
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

BREAK UP IN THE END
Jessie Jo Dillon
Chase McGill
Big Ass Pile of Dimes Music
Big Music Machine
Plum Nelly
Songs of Universal, Inc.

BURN OUT
Cameron Duddy
Kitt Cass Pub. Co.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

BURNING MAN
Luke Dick
Bobby Pinson
Clearbox Benefit
Emileon Songs
Little Louder Songs
New Writers of Sea Gayle Music
Not A Track Guy Music
Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing, Inc.

COMING HOME
Nicolle Galyon
Merle Haggard
Julia Michaels
JR Rotem
Keith Urban
I’ve Got Issues Music
Jonathan Rotem Music
Maroma Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Sony/ATV Tree
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

CRY PRETTY
Lori McKenna
Liz Rose
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Okie Music
Creative Pulse Music
Maps and Records Music
Songs of Crazy Girl Music
These Are Pulse Songs
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

DESPERATE MAN
Eric Church
Longer And Louder Music
Sony/ATV Tree

DOWN TO THE HONKYTONK
Rodney Clawson
Ford Drives A Chevy
Round Hill Compositions
Shirt At Work

DROWNS THE WHISKEY
Brandon Kinney
Jeff Middleton
Josh Thompson
Better Boat Music
Big Music Machine
Songs of Red Bandana
Sony/ATV Tree
Tom Tom Leis Music
Two Laine Collections
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

DRUNK GIRL
Tom Douglas
Chris Janson
Anthem Red Vinyl Music
Sony/ATV Tree
TomDouglasMusic

DRUNK ME
Mitchell Tenpenny
Riser Dime Music
Sony/ATV Countryside

EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE ALRIGHT
Chris Stevens
Jimmy Yeary
Beattyville Music
Capitol CMG Paragon
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Great Day At This Music
Meaux Mercy Publishing
Moody Producer Music

GET ALONG
Ross Copperman
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Endurance Romeo Charlie

GOOD GIRL
Dustin Lynch
Magic Mustang Music, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

HANGIN’ ON
Chris Young
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Songs of Universal, Inc.

HEART BREAK
Jesse Frasure
Nicolle Galyon
Charles Kelley
Songs of Roc Nation Music
Telemitry Rhythm House Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

HEAVEN
Shy Carter
Lindsay Rimes (APRA)
BMG Platinum Songs US
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Koala T Tunes
You Want How Much Of What Publishing

HOOKED
Morgan Evans (APRA)
Lindsay Rimes (APRA)
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Koala T Tunes
Songsbyme
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

I LIVED IT
Rhett Akins
Ross Copperman
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Endurance Romeo Charlie
Ritten By Rhettro
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

I WAS JACK (YOU WERE DIANE)
Tommy Cecil
Jody Stevens
Sawyer Cash Music
Songs of XO Music Group
Sony/ATV Countryside
Sony/ATV Tree
We In Good Company

KINDA DON’T CARE
Rhett Akins
Ross Copperman
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Endurance Romeo Charlie
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

KISS SOMEBODY
Morgan Evans (APRA)
Songsbyme
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

LAST SHOT
Dan Couch
Songs From The Couch

LIFE CHANGES
Rhett Akins
Jesse Frasure
Thomas Rhett
Cricket On The Line
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Ritten By Rhettro
Songs of Roc Nation Music
Telemitry Rhythm House Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

LOSE IT
Kane Brown
Chase McGill
Will Weatherly
Kane Brown Music
Mandy’s Favorite Songs
Plum Nelly
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Track House Worldwide Entertainment
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

MERCY
Sean McConnell
Little Beluga Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

MOST PEOPLE ARE GOOD
David Frasier
Ed Hill
Copyright Solutions Music
Five Hills Music LLC
Mighty Nice Music
MV2 Music
SB21 Tunes
Songs of Amylase

NIGHT SHIFT
Tofer Brown
Phillip LaRue
Billy Montana
Concord Copyrights
Curb | Word Entertainment
Let The Road Pave Itself
Rain Town Music

ONE NUMBER AWAY
Luke Combs
Rob Williford
50 Egg Music
Big Music Machine
Rowdy Rob Music
Straight Dimes Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Works of RHA

ONE THAT GOT AWAY
Jesse Frasure
Downtown Music Publishing
Telemitry Productions

RICH
Jessie Jo Dillon
Maren Morris
Laura Veltz
Big Music Machine
International Dog Music
Jay Gatsby Music
Oh Denise Publishing
Revelry Music
Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

SHE GOT THE BEST OF ME
Luke Combs
Rob Snyder
Channing Wilson
50 Egg Music
Big Music Machine
Heart Scarred Songs
Straight Dimes Publishing
Super LCS Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

SIMPLE
Michael Hardy
Mark Holman
Tyler Hubbard
Brian Kelley
Art In The Fodder Music
Big Loud Mountain
BMG Bumblebee
BMG Platinum Songs US
Pranch Ringle Music
Relative Music Group
Round Hill Works
Rygo Music
Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing, Inc.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
T Hubb Publishing

SIXTEEN
Sean Douglas
Joe London
Thomas Rhett
BIG DEAL Beats
Brodsky Spensive Publishing
Cricket On The Line
Eastman Pond Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Nice Life
Sony/ATV Ballad
Words & Music

SPEECHLESS
Shay Mooney
Laura Veltz
Big Music Machine
Never Veltz So Good Publishing
Shay Mooney Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

SUNRISE, SUNBURN, SUNSET
Ryan Hurd
Chase McGill
Plum Nelly
Songs of Universal, Inc.

TAKE BACK HOME GIRL
Josh Miller
Jack 10 Publishing
Songs of the Corn
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

TAKE IT FROM ME
Jason Gantt
Songs of Red Bandana
Sony/ATV Tree

TEQUILA
Nicolle Galyon
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

THE ONES THAT LIKE ME
Blake Chaffin
Brantley Gilbert
Bobby Pinson
Anthem Music Publishing I
Bobby’s Lyrics, Land and Livestock
Indiana Angel Music
Music of Parallel
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

THERE WAS THIS GIRL
Erik Dylan
Riley Green
Back 40 Publishing International
peermusic III Ltd.
Townes Van Hawke Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

THIS IS IT
Scotty McCreery
Dagum Music

UP DOWN
Brad Clawson
Michael Hardy
Five Miles West Songs
Harding Road Music
Mandy’s Favorite Songs
Murphy The Wolf Music
Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

WHAT MAKES YOU COUNTRY
Luke Bryan
Dallas Davidson
Natalia’s Music Money
Peanut Mill Songs
Round Hill Compositions
Sony/ATV Tree

WOMAN, AMEN
Ross Copperman
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Endurance Romeo Charlie

YOU MAKE IT EASY
Tyler Hubbard
Brian Kelley
Morgan Wallen
Big Loud Mountain
Pranch Ringle Music
Round Hill Works
T Hubb Publishing