John Lennon appears in...
The BMI Holiday Countdown: John Lennon, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”

John Lennon, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” The BMI holiday countdown concludes with John Lennon’s delicate, defiant “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” Released in December 1971, as Vietnam’s kaleidoscope of violence refracted the horrors of war around the world, the song delivers a softly sung and deeply moving message of hope, peace and humanity. Over an…
BMI Foundation Announces Opening of 15th Annual John Lennon Scholarship Competition

The opening of the 15th annual John Lennon Scholarship program has been announced by the BMI Foundation, Inc. The 2012 program will award three scholarships to U.S. college student songwriters. Prizes totaling $20,000 will be given for the best original songs submitted to the competition. Established by Yoko Ono in 1997 in conjunction with the BMI Foundation, these annual scholarships honor the memory of one of the preeminent songwriters of…
BMI Songwriters Chart Big on Billboard Hot 100’s First 1,000 No. 1s

In 1958, Billboard magazine created the “Hot 100,” a listing showing the top songs being purchased and aired in the U.S. week after week. Decade after decade, BMI songwriters have dominated the chart with some of the greatest hits ever written, from “Lonely Boy,” “Stop in the Name of Love,” and “Let It Be,” to “Da Doo Ron Ron,” Stayin’ Alive,” and “I Will Always Love You.” That proud tradition…
Queen, the Script, Andrew Frampton, Fraser T. Smith & more honored at 2011 BMI London Awards
BMI celebrated Europe and Asia’s premier songwriters, composers and music publishers tonight during its annual BMI London Awards. Guests filled London’s Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane to toast the past year’s most-performed songs on U.S. radio and television. Songwriters and composers honored at the event are members of European and Asian performing right societies and are represented in the U.S. by BMI. Legendary rock band Queen were honored as
14th Annual John Lennon Scholarship Winners Announced

The winners of the BMI Foundation’s 14th Annual John Lennon Scholarships, a program that recognizes the best and brightest young songwriters between the ages of 15 and 24, were announced on August 16 by Samantha Cox, Director of the competition. Lynda DeFuria, a Las Vegas native and recent Berklee College of Music graduate, won first place and a $10,000 scholarship for her song, “Where You Stand.”
BMI Partners with Hard Rock for Capitol Hill Event

BMI Senior Vice President, Government Relations Fred Cannon made arrangements for the Hard Rock Memorabilia Bus to make its Washington, DC stop in the shadow of the west front of the U.S. Capitol, just steps away from the entrance to the Capitol Building Visitor’s Center. BMI and Hard Rock Washington, DC marketing executive Jordan Rosenblatt hosted a VIP reception attended by members of Congress, including Representatives Marsha Blackburn and Ted…
BMI’s New Holiday Standards Announce That Time of Year

Holiday songs are no longer elevator music for the month of December—nor, as seems to increasingly be the case, for late October and November. The BMI repertoire is stacked with new classics that command attention, channeling lovesick blues, winking irreverence and funk-laced grooves into original odes to the season. In no particular order, here are 15 favorites from the BMI catalog: “Please Come Home for Christmas” Originally recorded by…
2010 John Lennon Scholarship Winners Announced

The winners of the BMI Foundation’s 13th Annual John Lennon Scholarships, a program that recognizes the best and brightest young songwriters between the ages of 15 and 24, were announced by Samantha Cox, Director of the competition. Liz Longley, a Pennsylvania native and recent Berklee College of Music graduate, won first place and a $10,000 scholarship for her song “Unraveling.” University of Central Missouri students Zach Johnson…
BMI Jewels Make Up Majority of Rolling Stone’s Top 500

In its June issue, Rolling Stone magazine offered the latest version of its “500 Greatest Songs of All Time," an update of its countdown originally released in 2004. Nuggets crafted by BMI songwriters overwhelmingly dominate the list: Standards from the BMI catalogue make up more than 60% of the classic roll call. Nine out of the top 10 picks are BMI gems: The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,”…
Cheap Trick: 35 Years of Pop-Rock Brio

BMI will partner with SXSW to present Cheap Trick on Friday, March 19 at Auditorium Shores on Ladybird Lake in downtown Austin, Texas. Free and open to the public, the show starts at 6 p.m., and will feature special guests the BoDeans and Cracker. Few rock bands have as loyal a following as Cheap Trick, with their mix of high and…
