July 24, 2002

BMI URBAN AWARDS 2002

Press Release

NEW YORK, July 24, 2002—BMI, the performing rights organization, announced today the first confirmed attendees to its Urban Awards 2002, scheduled for August 6 at Club Tropigala at the Fountainebleau Hilton Resorts & Towers in Miami Beach. Among the urban songwriters and publishers to be recognized and on hand at the first-ever ceremony are rappers N.O.R.E., Cam’Ron, Big Tymers, Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Neptunes, Rockwilder, singer Mario Winans and writer/producer Mike City.

Multiple BMI award-winning songwriters Cory Rooney and Rodney Jerkins will be attending the Urban Awards as well, with Jerkins joining Dallas Austin and Neptunes’ Pharrell Williams in producing the musical tribute to BMI ICON Award recipient, James “The Godfather of Soul” Brown. The BMI ICON Award will be presented to Brown in recognition of his contributions to music and the music business. The first ICON Awards were presented in May to fellow pioneers Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Little Richard.

The BMI Urban Awards will recognize the songwriters and publishers of the most-played urban songs on U.S. radio and television. An Urban Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Publisher of the Year will be named that night. In addition to the song awards, BMI will also honor the Top Producers of 2001-2002 and the BMI writers whose songs hit #1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Charts.

The black-tie, invitation-only event will be held to coincide with Billboard’s R&B/Hip Hop Conference & Awards, also in Miami Beach.

The August 6 ceremony will be the first one for the BMI Urban Awards. The 2001 Urban Awards presentation, scheduled for October 3 last year, was cancelled due to the events of 9/11, although the actual awards were later distributed to the winners. BMI also honored its Latin music songwriters and publishers May 8 with the 9th Annual Latin Awards in Hollywood, Florida.