March 11, 2011

Latin Elite Honored at 18th Annual BMI Latin Music Awards

LAS VEGAS, March 10, 2011 — Leading U.S. music rights organization Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) honored Latin music’s creators during the 18th Annual BMI Latin Music Awards, held tonight at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Master songwriter, producer, and musician Kike Santander received the BMI President’s Award, which celebrates his distinct and profound influence on the entire entertainment industry. Horacio Palencia was named Songwriter of the Year, while “Lo Intentamos” earned Song of the Year honors for writer Espinoza Paz and publisher Editora Arpa Musical. Universal Music Publishing Group garnered the prestigious Publisher of the Year crown.

Hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and Delia Orjuela, BMI Vice President, Latin Music, the ceremony also saluted the writers and publishers of the past year’s 50 most-performed Latin songs on U.S. radio and television. BMI represents Latin songwriters based in the U.S. and around the globe through reciprocal agreements with sister performing right organizations in the songwriters’ home countries.

Three-time BMI Latin Songwriter of the Year Kike Santander has earned 25 BMI Latin Awards. He has received three Latin Grammys including Producer of the Year, and was crowned Billboard Latin Songwriter of the Year in 1999. A brilliant songwriter, producer, arranger, and musician, he has written and/or produced smashes for artists including Alejandro Fernández, Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Cristian Castro, Carlos Santana, Jennifer Lopez, David Bisbal, Chayanne, Nestor Torres, and more. In receiving the BMI President’s Award, Kike Santander joins an elite list of past honorees that includes Juanes, Taylor Swift, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, and Willie Nelson.

For a complete list of 2011 BMI Latin Awards winners, please visit www.bmi.com/latin.

Follow BMI on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bmi and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/broadcastmusicinc.

High-resolution photos will be available on EPKLink by midnight PST on March 10 and on BMI.com. To download, visit http://www.bmi.com/press: username: bmimedia; password: songwriter; or www.epklink.com/bmilatinawards/.

Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI) is an American performing right organization that represents more than 475,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 6.5 million works. BMI has represented the most popular and beloved music from around the world for 70 years. The U.S. corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.
www.bmi.com

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CONTACTS:
Hanna Pantle / BMI Los Angeles
310.289.6328 / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Marlene Meraz / BMI Los Angeles
310.289.6325 / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)