Vince Gill Recognized as BMI Icon at the 2014 BMI Country Awards

Rhett Akins, Ketch Secor and Sony/ATV Among Honorees at the Annual Event in Nashville

Posted in News on November 4, 2014

Broadcast Music, Inc. proudly presented the 2014 BMI Country Awards, honoring the prolific songwriting career of BMI Icon Vince Gill, as well as the Country Songwriter, Song and Publisher of the Year tonight in Nashville. The 62nd annual event, which is the genre’s oldest awards ceremony, also celebrated the songwriters and publishers of the most-performed country songs of the past year. BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill hosted the ceremony with Jody Williams, BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville; and Clay Bradley, BMI Assistant Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville.

Gill, who was named this year’s BMI Icon, joins an elite list of songwriters who have had “a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers” and was honored with a tribute from three fellow musicians: Keith Urban, Ashley Monroe, and Michael McDonald. Ashley Monroe serenaded attendees with “Whenever You Come Around.” Urban performed “I Still Believe In You,” and Michael McDonald gave his heartbreaking rendition of “When I Call Your Name.” Urban and Monroe closed out the set with a raucous version of the perennial Vince Gill classic “Liza Jane.”

Rhett Akins was named Songwriter of the Year, with writing credits on seven of the most-performed songs of the past year, including “Boys Round Here,” recorded by Blake Shelton featuring Pistol Annies, “Hey Girl” by Billy Currington, “I Can Take It From There” by Chris Young, “It Goes Like This” by Thomas Rhett, “Parking Lot Party” by Lee Brice, “Point at You” by Justin Moore and “When She Says Baby” by Jason Aldean.

Darius Rucker’s hit “Wagon Wheel,” penned by Ketch Secor, won the coveted Song of the Year award. Published by Blood Donor Music, “Wagon Wheel” was one of the most-performed country songs of the year.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville continued their winning streak of more than a decade, again taking home the Publisher of the Year accolade. Responsible for 28 of the 50 most-performed songs of the year, Sony/ATV published megahits such as Luke Bryan’s “Drink a Beer,” Lee Brice’s “I Drive Your Truck,” Cole Swindell’s “Chillin’ It,” and many more. During the ceremony, BMI also saluted the songwriters and publishers of the 50 most-performed country songs of the previous year.

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

ICON

VINCE GILL

SONG OF THE YEAR

“WAGON WHEEL”
Ketch Secor
Blood Donor Music

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

RHETT AKINS
“Boys ‘Round Here”
“Hey Girl”
“I Can Take It From There”
“It Goes Like This”
“Parking Lot Party”
“Point At You”
“When She Says Baby”

PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR

SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING NASHVILLE
(EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc, Sony/ATV Acuff Rose, Sony/ATV Countryside and Sony/ATV Tree)

“Anywhere With You”
“Aw Naw”
“Boys ‘Round Here”
“Carolina”
“Chillin’ It”
“Done”
“Don’t Ya”
“Downtown”
“Drink A Beer”
“Hey Girl”
“Highway Don’t Care”
“I Can Take It From There”
“I Drive Your Truck”
“If I Didn’t Have You”
“It Goes Like This”
“Like Jesus Does”
“Little Bit Of Everything”
“Mine Would Be You”
“Parking Lot Party”
“Pirate Flag”
“Point At You”
“Red”
“Round Here”
“Runnin’ Outta Moonlight”
“See You Again”
“Sunny And 75”
“That’s My Kind Of Night”
“When She Says Baby”

2014 COUNTRY AWARDS TOP 50 SONGS

ALL OVER THE ROAD
Carson Chamberlain
Wade Kirby
Carson Chamberlain Music
Kirbtone Music
Steel Wheels Music
Easton Corbin

ANYWHERE WITH YOU
Jimmy Yeary
Beattyville Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Great Day At This Music
Jake Owen

AW NAW
Chris Young
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
The Maple Kind LLC
Chris Young

BEAT THIS SUMMER
Luke Laird
Creative Nation Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Twangin’ And Slangin’ Songs
Brad Paisley

BOYS ‘ROUND HERE
Rhett Akins
Dallas Davidson
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Blake Shelton featuring Pistol Annies & Friends

CAROLINA
Rick Beato
Barry Knox
Josh McSwain
Matt Thomas
Scott Thomas
B. Knox Music
Boogall Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Lonely Runner Music, Inc.
Pooskie Music
Slip Joint Music
Parmalee

CHILLIN’ IT
Shane Minor
Cole Swindell
Code Six Charles Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Cole Swindell

COMPASS
Ross Golan
Ammar Malik
Back In Djibouti
Maru Cha Cha
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Lady Antebellum

CRASH MY PARTY 
Rodney Clawson
Big Red Toe Music
Luke Bryan

DONE
Neil Perry
Reid Perry
Famdamily Music
Sony/ATV Countryside
When I Go To The Moon Music
The Band Perry

DON’T LET ME BE LONELY
Sarah Buxton
Rodney Clawson
Big Red Toe Music
Bux Tone Music
The Band Perry

DON’T YA
Brett Eldredge
Paris Not France Music
Sony/ATV Countryside
Brett Eldredge

DOWNTOWN
Natalie Hemby
Luke Laird
Creative Nation Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
These Are Pulse Songs
Twangin’ And Slangin’ Songs
Lady Antebellum

DRINK A BEER
Jim Beavers
Sony/ATV Tree
Luke Bryan

DRUNK LAST NIGHT
Laura Veltz
Big Music Machine
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Eli Young Band

FRIDAY NIGHT
Rob Crosby
Rose Falcon
Golden Vault Music
Spirit of Nashville One
Wadmalaw Music LLC
Eric Paslay

GET YOUR SHINE ON
Rodney Clawson
Tyler Hubbard
Brian Kelley
Big Loud Mountain
Big Red Toe Music
Florida Georgia Line

GIVE IT ALL WE GOT TONIGHT
Tim James
Phil O’Donnell
BMG Platinum Songs
Music of BIG DEAL
Rooster Pecked Music
Sixteen Stars Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
George Strait

HEY GIRL
Rhett Akins
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Billy Currington

HEY PRETTY GIRL
Dan Couch
Kip Moore
Music of Stage Three
Roll Through Music
Songs From The Couch
Songs of Cornman
Kip Moore

HIGHWAY DON’T CARE
Brad Warren
Brett Warren
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
StyleSonic Music LLC
Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift

I CAN TAKE IT FROM THERE
Rhett Akins
Chris Young
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Chris Young

I DRIVE YOUR TRUCK
Connie Harrington
Jimmy Yeary
Beattyville Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Great Day At This Music
Watch This Girl Publishing
Lee Brice

I WANT CRAZY
Hunter Hayes
Lori McKenna
Troy Verges
Happy Little Man Publishing
Hoodie Songs
Songs From The Engine Room
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Hunter Hayes

IF I DIDN’T HAVE YOU
Paul Jenkins
Shawna Thompson
Mack 2 Music
Magic Mustang Music, Inc.
Sony/ATV Tree
Thompson Square

IT GOES LIKE THIS
Rhett Akins
Brooks County Boy Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Thomas Rhett

JUMP RIGHT IN
Zac Brown
Wyatt Durrette
Angelika Music
Weimerhound Publishing
Zac Brown Band

LIKE JESUS DOES
Casey Beathard
Monty Criswell
Dixey Bar Music
Six Ring Circus Songs
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Sony/ATV Tree
Eric Church

LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
Brad Warren
Brett Warren
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Fam Love Music
Sagequinnjude Music
Keith Urban

MAMA’S BROKEN HEART
Kacey Musgraves
351 Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Miranda Lambert

MINE WOULD BE YOU
Connie Harrington
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Great Day At This Music
Watch This Girl Publishing
Blake Shelton

MORE THAN MILES
Brantley Gilbert
Indiana Angel Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Brantley Gilbert

NIGHT TRAIN
Michael Dulaney
Desert Treasure Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Jason Aldean

PARKING LOT PARTY
Rhett Akins
Lee Brice
Luke Laird
Thomas Rhett
Cricket On The Line
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Mike Curb Music
Universal Music-Careers
Lee Brice

PIRATE FLAG
Ross Copperman
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Ross Copperman Songs
Kenny Chesney

POINT AT YOU
Rhett Akins
Ross Copperman
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Ross Copperman Songs
Justin Moore

RADIO
Luke Laird
Creative Nation Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Twangin’ And Slangin’ Songs
Darius Rucker

RED
Taylor Swift
Sony/ATV Tree
Taylor Swift Music
Taylor Swift

ROUND HERE
Rodney Clawson
Thomas Rhett
Big Red Toe Music
Cricket On The Line
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Florida Georgia Line

RUNNIN’ OUTTA MOONLIGHT
Dallas Davidson
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Randy Houser

SEE YOU AGAIN
David Hodges
Carrie Underwood
12:06 Publishing
Carrie Okie Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Carrie Underwood

SOUTHERN GIRL
Rodney Clawson
Lee Thomas Miller
Big Red Toe Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Writers of Sea Gayle Music
Tim McGraw

STAY
Joey Moi (SOCAN)
Moi Music Productions
Florida Georgia Line

SUNNY AND 75
Michael Dulaney
Paul Jenkins
Desert Treasure Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Joe Nichols

SURE BE COOL IF YOU DID
Rodney Clawson
Big Red Toe Music
Blake Shelton

SWEET ANNIE
Coy Bowles
Zac Brown
Wyatt Durrette
Sonia Leigh
Angelika Music
Poppsolotamus Music
Southern Ground Artists, Inc.
Weimerhound Publishing
Zac Brown Band

THAT’S MY KIND OF NIGHT
Dallas Davidson
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Two Chord Georgia Music
Luke Bryan

WAGON WHEEL
Ketch Secor
Blood Donor Music
Darius Rucker

WE WERE US
Nicolle Galyon
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert

WHEN SHE SAYS BABY
Rhett Akins
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Jason Aldean

SOURCENews TAGS Country Nashville BMI Country Awards