Gamble & Huff Named BMI Icons at 57th Annual Pop Awards
Eight-Way Tie for Prestigious Songwriter of the Year Crown, ‘Bubbly’ Earns Song of the Year, & Universal Music Secures Publisher of the Year Honors
BMI held its 57th Annual Pop Awards tonight, honoring Gamble & Huff as BMI Icons. Songwriter of the Year honors resulted in a record-setting eight-way tie this year, saluting Colbie Caillat, Polow Da Don, T-Pain, Alan Chang, Matchbox Twenty’s Paul Doucette and Brian Yale, Chris Brown, and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. Caillat also garnered Song of the Year honors for international hit “Bubbly,” which she co-wrote and recorded. Universal Music Publishing Group enjoyed a big night as well, winning the 2009 Publisher of the Year crown. Held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, the invitation-only ceremony was hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and BMI Vice President/General Manager, Los Angeles, Barbara Cane and also recognized the writers and publishers of the past year’s 50 most-performed pop songs from BMI’s extensive catalog of more than 6.5 million compositions.
The evening’s capstone was a musical tribute to Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. Gavin DeGraw performed “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” Estelle performed “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” and Michael Bublé delivered his rendition of “Me and Mrs. Jones.” Named BMI Icons in recognition of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers,” Gamble & Huff join an elite list of previous BMI Icons that includes the Jacksons, Bee Gees, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Ray Davies, Carlos Santana, Dolly Parton, and Hall & Oates.
Individually, they would have been giants, but together, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff became more than giants: They became legends. As architects of the Philadelphia soul dynasty of the 60s and 70s, Gamble and Huff composed and produced landmark work by their Philly International Records artists as well as others including the O’Jays, Lou Rawls, Jerry Butler, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Dusty Springfield, Wilson Pickett and so many more. The pair has accumulated 22 gold and 8 platinum albums on the strength of co-written classics including The O’Jays’ “For the Love of Money,” “Love Train” and “Use ta Be My Girl,” The Three Degrees’ “When Will I See You Again,” Billy Paul’s “Me and Mrs. Jones,” Lou Rawls’ “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine,” Jerry Butler’s “Only the Strong Survive,” the incomparable Soul Train theme “The Sound of Philadelphia” and “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” first recorded by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and later covered by Simply Red, whose version garnered Gamble & Huff their first Grammy. Together, the duo boasts an astounding 86 BMI Pop and R&B Awards. “Love Train” has earned 3 million performances, while “When Will I See You Again” and “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” have both generated more than 4 million performances, and “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” has amassed more than 7 million performances. Gamble & Huff are also members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame, and recipients of the Recording Academy’s prestigious Trustees Award.
Colbie Caillat’s “Bubbly” garnered Song of the Year honors for its creative hive. Co-written by Caillat and singer/songwriter Jason Reeves and published by Cocomarie Music, “Bubbly” spent fourteen weeks atop Billboard’s Adult Top 40 chart. Featured on Caillat’s 2007 debut album Coco, the song has since been certified platinum. “Bubbly” has enjoyed ubiquitous success all over the world: In addition to reaching #1 in Australia and Czechoslovakia, the tune climbed into the upper echelon of charts in countries including Germany, Peru, Sweden, Belgium, France, Canada, and The Netherlands.
Caillat also delighted the audience with a charming performance of “Bubbly.”
In a BMI Pop Awards first, eight songwriters lay claim to the Songwriter of the Year crown. Each of the winners contributed two songs to the 50 most-performed list. In addition to “Bubbly,” Colbie Caillat’s “Realize” earned a spot in the top 50; Polow Da Don contributed “Forever,” co-written and recorded by Chris Brown, and “Love in This Club,” recorded by Usher and featuring Young Jeezy, to the list, while T-Pain’s “Kiss Kiss,” also recorded and co-written by Chris Brown, and “Low,” recorded by Flo Rida; Alan Chang’s “Everything” and “Lost,” both recorded by Michael Bublé; Matchbox Twenty’s Brian Yale and Paul Doucette’s co-compositions “How Far We’ve Come” and “These Hard Times” from the band’s retrospective Exile on Mainstream album; and Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine’s “Wake Up Call” and “Won’t Go Home Without You,” which he recorded with the band, all ranked amongst the year’s top 50 most-performed songs as well.
Universal Music Publishing Group secured its BMI Pop Publisher of the Year crown with an impressive 20 award songs and the highest percentage of copyright ownership among the year’s top 50. Universal’s catalog includes award-winners “All Summer Long” (Kid Rock), “Hate That I Love You” (Rihanna featuring Ne-Yo), “It’s Not My Time” (3 Doors Down), “Stronger” (Kanye West), “Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)” (Wyclef Jean featuring Akon, Lil Wayne, and Niia), “Shadow Of The Day” (Linkin Park), and “All Around Me” (Flyleaf).
In addition to earning a BMI Pop Award for her crossover hit “Teardrops on My Guitar,” Taylor Swift received the BMI President’s Award, which honors an exceptional individual in the entertainment industry deserving of special recognition. The BMI President’s Award is presented only on unique occasions when an individual has distinctly and profoundly influenced the industry.
Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” earned its third BMI Pop Award, while Gary L. Jackson, Raynard Miner, and Carl William Smith took home their second award for Michael McDonald’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.” Additional big winners included will.i.am, Kanye West, Wyclef Jean, Ne-Yo, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Natasha Bedingfield (PRS), Pink, Gavin DeGraw, and Ray J; Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden and Joel Madden; Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger (SOCAN); Lifehouse’s Jason Wade; 3 Doors Down’s Brad Arnold, Todd Harrell, Chris Henderson, and Matt Roberts; Chris Daughtry and Brian Howes (SOCAN); Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett; Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, Rob Bourdon, Brad Delson, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell, Joe Hahn, and Mike Shinoda; and songwriting and production heavy weights JR Rotem, Danielle Brisebois, Ian Dench (PRS), Amanda Ghost (PRS), Jude Cole, Amund Bjørklund (PRS), and Espen Lind (PRS).
Publishing companies EMI Music Publishing (EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc./EMI-Longitude Music), Sony/ATV Music Group (Sony/ATV Songs LLC / Sony/ATV Tree), Warner/Chappell Music (Unichappell Music, Inc./Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.), Cocomarie Music, Culture Beyond Ur Experience, February Twenty-Second, Ihan Zhan Music, Lucinda Panic, Nappypub, Pookie Stuff, Reach Global, and State One Music America each garnered multiple awards.
The BMI Foundation’s 12th Annual John Lennon Scholarship was presented to pop singer/songwriter Jaci Wisot for her song “Firefly.” Currently a student at Belmont University in Nashville, Wisot recorded her first EP, Firefly, in May 2008. Established in 1997 by Yoko Ono in conjunction with the BMI Foundation and matched by generous donations from Gibson Musical Instruments, the prestigious John Lennon Scholarship program recognizes and fosters auspicious young songwriters between the ages of 15 and 24. For more information on the BMI Foundation, please visit www.bmifoundation.com.
2009 BMI Pop Awards
Award-Winning Songs
ALL AROUND ME
Sameer Bhattacharya
James Culpepper
Jared Hartmann
Pat Seals
Lacey Sturm
BOK Music
C. L. Culpepper Music
Coked Up Werewolf Music
Kelton Chase Publishing
Universal Music-Z Songs
Vulture Rock
Yossarian Music
Flyleaf
A & M/Octone/Interscope
ALL SUMMER LONG
Kid Rock
Gary Rossington
Uncle Kracker
Ronnie VanZant
Warren Zevon
EMI-Longitude Music
Gaje Music, Inc.
Robert James Ritchie Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Zevon Music
Kid Rock
Top Dog/Atlantic
BUBBLY
Colbie Caillat
Cocomarie Music
Colbie Caillat
Universal/Republic
CLOSER
Bernt Rune Stray
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Ne-Yo
Def Jam Music Group
CLUMSY
will.i.am
Cherry River Music Co.
will.i.am music, inc.
Fergie
will.i.am/A&M/Interscope
DAMAGED
Ray Romulus
Slam
James Smith
Rosemarie Tan
Justin Walker
Citysky Music
ILoveTheSun Music
Irving Music
Please Enjoy The Music
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Tik Tak Fresh Entertainment
ZXS Publishing
Danity Kane
Bad Boy/Atlantic
DON’T STOP THE MUSIC
Michael Jackson
Frankie Storm
Dabney Music Publishing
Mijac Music
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Rihanna
SRP/Def Jam/IDJMG
EVERYTHING
Alan Chang
Amy Foster
Almost October Songs
Ihan Zhan Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Michael Bublé
143 Records/Reprise/Warner Bros.
FAKE IT
John Humphrey
Dale Stewart
Shaun Morgan Welgemoed
Kickdatkat Music
Seether Publishing
State One Music America
Seether
Wind-Up Records
FEELS LIKE TONIGHT
Sheppard Solomon
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Daughtry
RCA/RMG
FOREVER
Robert Allen
Chris Brown
Polow Da Don
A List Vocalz
Culture Beyond Ur Experience Publishing
My Diet Starts Tomorrow, Inc.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Chris Brown
Jive/Zomba
THE GREAT ESCAPE
David Katz
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Reptillian Music
Boys Like Girls
Columbia Records
HATE THAT I LOVE YOU
Ne-Yo
Super Sayin’ Publishing
Universal Music-Z Songs
Rihanna featuring Ne-Yo
SRP/Def Jam/IDJMG
(YOUR LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME)
HIGHER AND HIGHER
(2nd Award)
Gary L. Jackson
Raynard Miner
Carl William Smith
Chevis Publishing Corp.
Mijac Music
Unichappell Music, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Michael McDonald
Universal/Motown
HOW FAR WE’VE COME
Paul Doucette
Brian Yale
Lucinda Panic Music
Pookie Stuff
Matchbox 20
Melisma/Atlantic
I DON’T WANNA BE IN LOVE (DANCE FLOOR ANTHEM)
Benji Madden
Joel Madden
The Madden Brothers Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Good Charlotte
Daylight/Epic
IN LOVE WITH A GIRL
Gavin DeGraw
G. DeGraw Music, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Gavin DeGraw
J Records
INTO THE NIGHT
Chad Kroeger (SOCAN)
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Carlos Santana featuring Chad Kroeger
Arista/RMG
IT’S NOT MY TIME
Brad Arnold
Todd Harrell
Chris Henderson
Matt Roberts
Escatawpa Songs
Songs of Universal, Inc.
3 Doors Down
Universal/Republic
KISS KISS
Chris Brown
T-Pain
Culture Beyond Ur Experience Publishing
Nappypub Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Universal Music-Z Songs
Chris Brown featuring T-Pain
Jive/Zomba
LEAVIN’
James Bunton
Move J B Songs
OSS Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Jesse McCartney
Hollywood Records
LOST
Alan Chang
Ihan Zhan Music
Michael Bublé
143 Records/Reprise/Warner Bros.
LOVE IN THIS CLUB
Polow Da Don
Lamar “B Grand” Taylor
Young Jeezy
Baby Keyz Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
My Diet Starts Tomorrow, Inc.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Young Jeezy Music
Usher featuring Young Jeezy
LaFace/Zomba
LOVE LIKE THIS
Wayne Wilkins (PRS)
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Natasha Bedingfield featuring Sean Kingston
Phonogenic/Epic
LOW
DJ Montay
Korey “Big Oomp” Roberson
Howard “MC Assault” Simmons
T-Pain
Nappypub Music
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Top Quality Publishing
Universal Music-Z Songs
Flo Rida featuring T-Pain
Poe Boy/Atlantic
NO AIR
Erik Griggs
4 X Ample Music
Irving Music
Underdog East Songs
Jordin Sparks duet with Chris Brown
19/Jive/Zomba
OVER YOU
Chris Daughtry
Brian Howes (SOCAN)
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Surface Pretty Deep Ugly Music
Universal Music-Careers
Daughtry
RCA/RMG
PICTURES OF YOU
Jeff Blue
Kurtis Henneberry
Michael Nadeau
Stay Beautiful Songs
Universal Music-Z Songs
Last Goodnight
Virgin Records
POCKETFUL OF SUNSHINE
Natasha Bedingfield (PRS)
Danielle Brisebois
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Gator Baby
Natasha Bedingfield
Phonogenic/Epic
THE PRETENDER
Dave Grohl
Nate Mendel
Chris Shiflett
Flying Earform Music
I Love The Punk Rock Music
MJ Twelve Music
Foo Fighters
Roswell/RCA/RMG
REALIZE
Colbie Caillat
Cocomarie Music
Colbie Caillat
Universal/Republic
SEE YOU AGAIN
Miley Cyrus
Tim James
Tondolea Lane Music Publishing
Miley Cyrus
Walt Disney/Hollywood
SEXY CAN I
Ray J
Stop Trying To Copy My Music
Ray J featuring Yung Berg
Yung Boss/Epic/Koch
SHADOW OF THE DAY
Chester Bennington
Rob Bourdon
Brad Delson
Dave Farrell
Joe Hahn
Mike Shinoda
Big Bad Mr. Hahn Music
Chesterchaz Publishing
Kenji Kobayashi Music
Nondisclosure Agreement Music
Pancakey Cakes Music
Rob Bourdon Music
Universal Music-Z Songs
Linkin Park
Machine Shop/Warner Bros.
SORRY
Marti Frederiksen
Sienna Sienna Songs
Buckcherry
Eleven Seven/Atlantic/Lava
STRONGER
Thomas Bangalter
Michael Dean
Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
Kanye West
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Please Gimme My Publishing, Inc.
Reach Global Songs
Universal Music-Z Songs
Kanye West
Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam/IDJMG
SWEETEST GIRL (DOLLAR BILL)
Derek Coleman
Rakeem Diggs
Jerry “Wonder” Duplessis
Ghostface Killah
Lamont Hawkins
Jason Hunter
Lil Wayne
Method Man
Ol’ Dirty Bastard
Corey Woods
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Te Bass Music, Inc.
Universal Music-Careers
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Wu Tang Publishing, Inc.
Yawehimi Publishing
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
Wyclef Jean feat. Akon & Lil Wayne
Columbia Records
TAKE YOU THERE
Evan Bogart
JR Rotem
Here’s Lookin’ At You Kidd Music
Jonathan Rotem Music
Reach Global Songs
Southside Independent Music Publishing LLC
Sean Kingston
Bad Boy/Atlantic
TATTOO
Ian Dench (PRS)
Amanda Ghost (PRS)
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Ian Dench Music
Jordin Sparks
Jive/Zomba
TEARDROPS ON MY GUITAR
Taylor Swift
Sony/ATV Tree
Taylor Swift Music
Taylor Swift
Big Machine
THESE HARD TIMES
Paul Doucette
Brian Yale
Lucinda Panic Music
Pookie Stuff
Matchbox 20
Melisma/Atlantic
TIME AFTER TIME
(3rd Award)
Cyndi Lauper
Rellla Music Corp.
Quietdrive
Red Ink/Epic
TOUCH MY BODY
Mariah Carey
Rye Songs
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Mariah Carey
Island Records
WAKE UP CALL
Adam Levine
February Twenty-Second Music
Universal Music-Careers
Maroon 5
A & M/Octone/Interscope
WHAT YOU GOT
Giorgio Tuinfort
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Colby O’Donis featuring Akon
Kon Live/Geffen/Interscope
WHATEVER IT TAKES
Jude Cole
Jason Wade
Jason Wade Music
Jeseth Music
State One Music America
Lifehouse
Geffen Records
WHEN YOU’RE GONE
Butch Walker
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Sonotrock Music, Inc.
Avril Lavigne
RCA Records
WHO KNEW
(2nd Award)
Pink
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Pink Inside Publishing
Pink
LaFace/Zomba
WITH YOU
Amund Bjørklund (PRS)
Espen Lind (PRS)
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Chris Brown
Jive/Zomba
WON’T GO HOME WITHOUT YOU
Adam Levine
February Twenty-Second Music
Universal Music-Careers
Maroon 5
A & M/Octone/Interscope
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