A slew of Nashville's songwriting elite also made the trip, mingling with aspiring writers and fans and showcasing the voices and stories behind contemporary hits. Troubadours including Bobby Pinson (Sugarland's "Want To," his own "Don't Ask Me How I Know"), Jon Randall (Brad Paisley & Alison Krauss's "Whiskey Lullabye"), Stephony Smith (Tim McGraw & Faith Hill's "It's Your Love," Kenny Chesney's "Big Star," Reba McEntyre's "How Was I To Know"), Billy Montana (Sara Evans' "Suds In the Bucket," Jo Dee Messina's "Bring On the Rain," Garth Brooks' "More Than A Memory"), Tim Nichols (Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying," Terri Clark's "Girls Lie Too" and Jo Dee Messina's "Heads Carolina, Tails California"), John Wiggins (Joe Nichols' "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off"), and Chuck Jones (Diamond Rio's "Love A Little Stronger," Deana Carter's "Count Me In," John Berry's "Your Love Amazes Me"), Woody Mullis and Mike Geiger (co-writers of George Strait's "Adalida," Sawyer Brown's "This Missin' You Heart of Mine," and Neil McCoy's "City Put The Country Back In Me"), along with singer/songwriters Connie Harrington, Jessi Alexander and Shelly Fairchild, and CMT Can You Duet show standouts The Coppolas (Kate and Kasey) performed in intimate venues throughout the festival. BMI executives also took advantage of the scenic locale and stout concentration of hit-makers, presenting BMI Million-Air certificates to the writers whose songs have generated more than one million performances.

Photos by Alan Mayor

The group arrives in Key West. Pictured are: Front row (l to r): Wendell Mobley, Kylie Sackley, Virginia Davis, Jenn Schott, Melissa Pierce, Frank Myers, Vickie McGehee, Amber White, BMI's Bradley Collins, Cliff Cody; Back row (l to r): BMI's Mark Mason, Philip White, Fred Wilhelm, James Dean Hicks, Natalie Howard, Patrick Davis, Lee Brice, Brian Davis, BMI's Charlie Feldman and Eddy Raven. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

The festival also saw its first wedding this year, as songwriters D. Vincent Williams and Melinda Hutchings tied the knot while friends and peers looked on and wished them well.

The Key West Songwriter Festival is the brain child of Hog's Breath Saloon general manager Charlie Baur, and has grown from a weekend's worth of shows for the locals into a week-long extravaganza featuring many of the hottest writers in the country. BMI's inaugural role began in the festival's infancy and has ripened into that of devoted supporter and sponsor. The number of BMI affiliates in attendance continues to grow each year as coveted slots multiply through the addition of nearby venues. "This has become a vital event for Music Row," BMI's Mark Mason reflected. "Really, it has the feel and significance of a SXSW for songwriters."

Hog's Breath Saloon's recently opened listening room hosted various combinations of songwriters throughout the festival. Pictured are: (l to r): Jim Collins and Wendell Mobley. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

Songwriting elder statesman Hugh Prestwood attended the Key West festivities for the first time this year. "This was my first time at the festival. It was one of the most delightful experiences of my musical life -- a whirlwind immersion in a tropical Oz populated with amazing, hard-partying songwriters," he mused. "I came away inspired, rejuvenated and a bit hung-over. If good fortune allows, I am determined to be there every year."

Songwriting luminary Hugh Prestwood wowed fellow songwriters and audiences alike. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

One is hard-pressed to find views that rival Key West's panorama. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

Following their In-The-Round performance at the Key West Tropic Theatre are Tim Nichols, Marc Beeson, Craig Wiseman, Kendall Marvel, Jeffrey Steele and BMI's Shelby Kennedy. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

A cruise ship docks in Key West. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

BMI writers Melinda Hutchings and D.Vincent Williams tie the knot poolside at the Mango Tree Inn in Key West.

Festival organizers were presented with hand-painted mini ukuleles from their appreciative friends at BMI. Pictured are (l to r): BMI's Mark Mason, Hog's Breath owner and festival chairman Charlie Bauer, Mango Tree Inn owners Peggy and Johnny Newberry, "We've Got the Keys" event manager Nadene Grossman.

BMI's Mary Loving and writer Vickie McGehee grab some shade at the Cinco de Mayo pool party, which featured acoustic performances by Detox & the Redneck Rock Stars, Brian Davis and James Otto. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

Some of the guys hang out during some down time. Pictured are (l to r): BMI's Mark Mason and songwriters Brett James, D. Vincent Williams, Chuck Jones and Jeffrey Steele. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

WE BELONG TOGETHER
Darnell Bristol
Mariah Carey
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
Sid "Uncle Jamz" Johnson
Patrick L. Moten
Sandra Sully
Bobby Womack
ABKCO Music, Inc.
Ballads By Design Publishing
Hip Chic Music
Mister Johnson's Jams Music
Rye Songs
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Mariah Carey
Island Records

YOU AND ME
Jude Cole
Jason Wade
Dimensional Songs of the Knoll
G-Chills Music
Jude Cole Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Lifehouse
Geffen Records

Jeffrey Steele	Scotty Emerick	Tim Nichols

Each spring, top Music City tunesmiths, emerging talent and country fans from all over the globe gather to enjoy the event's intimate performance settings and soak up the sun. Shows offer listeners a unique glimpse into the stories behind hit songs and the minds that create them, thrusting the often unsung heroes of the hits into a well-deserved spotlight. Numerous neighborhood venues, all within walking distance of the Hog’s Breath, host performances daily. Easy bike rides and casual strolls to and from shows integrate participants warmly into the community.

Jedd Hughes	Vicki McGehee

The eleventh year of the festival boasts yet another stellar line-up. Nearly 50 BMI songwriters are scheduled to perform, featuring today's hit songs and over two decades' worth of favorites. "The people in Key West are what make this festival special," says BMI's Mark Mason. "The entire community adopted the event, and it has catapulted from under the radar to one of the most highly anticipated annual festivals. Tons of hit songs have actually been written in Key West-it's a hotbed for creativity. Our writers simply love to attend."

BMI songwriters and artists scheduled to perform this year include Eddy Raven, Cliff Cody, Chuck Cannon, Jeffrey Steele, James Dean Hicks, Vicky McGehee, Wendell Mobley, Hugh Prestwood, Andi Zack, Kris Bergsnes, Phillip White, D. Vincent Williams, Randy Houser, Robert Lee Castleman, Jim Collins, Tim Nichols, Frank Myers, Keith Stegall, Cory Morrow, Scotty Emerick, Max T. Barnes, Arliss Albritton, Wayd Battle, Dallas Davidson, Brian Davis, Rob Hatch, Chuck Jones, Tammi Kidd, Scott Kirby, David Lee, Jim McCormick, Steve McEwan, Jon McElroy, Shane Minor, Jerrod Niemann, James Slater, D. Tox, Billy Joe Walker Jr., Chad Warrix, Fred Wilhelm, Patrick Davis, Jenn Schott, Lee Brice, Dillon Dixon, Kylie Sackley, Amber White, Jason Michael Carroll, Jedd Hughes and Kendell Marvel.

Tickets are on sale for the Friday and Saturday night concerts in the Hog's Breath Writers Room. Advance tickets are $25.00 per person, per night; prices rise to $30.00 per person each night at the door. Please call 305.296.4222, Monday through Friday between 10:00am and 3:00pm to purchase tickets in advance. An official $5.00 Festival Pass entitles participants to discounts on Budweiser and Bacardi brand beverages and more throughout the week.

For the complete festival schedule, ticket information, performer profiles and line-up, please visit www.kwswf.com or call 305.296.4222.

Hit songs written by BMI songwriters performing at the 11th Annual Key West Songwriters' Festival:

Chuck Cannon
"Dreamwalkin'"
"How Do You Like Me Now"

Jeffrey Steele
"The Cowboy in Me"
"Hell Yeah"

Scotty Emerick
"Beer
for My Horses"
"As Good As I Once Was"

James Dean Hicks
"National Working Woman's Holiday"
"Goodbye Time"

Vicki McGehee
"When I Think About Cheatin'"
"All Jacked Up"

Wendell Mobley
"Fast Cars and
Freedom"
"How Forever Feels"

Hugh Prestwood
"Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart"
"Ghost in This House"

Robert Lee Castleman
"The Lucky One"
"Restless"

Jim Collins
"The Good Stuff"
"She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy"

Tim Nichols
"Live Like You Were Dying"
"I'll Think of a Reason Later"

Frank Myers
"I'm Already There"
"My Front Porch Looking In"

Keith Stegall
"Dallas"
"I Hate Everything"

Bob DiPiero	Jeffrey Steele	Aimee Mayo

Each night features a lineup of successful songwriters from Nashville performing "in-the-round," the style of the Bluebird Café - Nashville's famous songwriters' mecca. The tunesmiths will line up on stage with guitars in-hand and take turns telling the stories behind their hits and then perform their songs. BMI songwriter Bob DiPiero will act as the host each night.

Matraca Berg	Tim Nichols

"Nashville has a uniquely tight-knit and collaborative music community where the song starts the creative cycle, with it all building from there," says BMI President and CEO Del Bryant. "We're looking forward to putting the spotlight on some of Nashville's best song architects." Bryant is originally from Nashville and is a son of one of the most successful songwriting teams in American music. His parents Boudleaux and Felice Bryant penned classics such as "Love Hurts," "All I Have to Do Is Dream," "Rocky Top," "Wake Up Little Susie," "Bye, Bye Love," to name just a few.

Saturday, November 12 - 6:30-8:30pm

Matraca Berg: "Wrong Side of Memphis" (Trisha Yearwood), "Strawberry Wine" and "We Danced Anyway" (Deana Carter), "Wild Angels" (Martina McBride)

Chris Lindsey: "Smile" and "Amazed" (Lonestar), "Let's Make Love" (Faith Hill with Tim McGraw), "Your Everything" (Keith Urban)

Aimee Mayo: "Amazed" (Lonestar), "Let's Make Love" (Faith Hill with Tim McGraw), "This One's For The Girls" (Martina McBride), "My Best Friend" (Tim McGraw)

Jessi Alexander: "Honeysuckle Sweet" (Jessi Alexander), "I Want to Believe" (Patty Loveless), "What's On My Mind" (Blake Shelton), "Make Me Stay or Make Me Go" (Jessi Alexander)

Brett James: "When the Sun Goes Down" (Kenny Chesney), "Who I Am" (Sara Evans), "Blessed" (Martina McBride), "With Me" (Lonestar)


Sunday, November 13 - 6:30-8:30pm

Bob DiPiero: "Blue Clear Sky" (George Strait), "Take Me As I Am" (Faith Hill), "Cleopatra Queen of Denial" and "Cryin' Over Spilled Perfume" (Pam Tillis)

Jeffrey Steele: "These Days" (Rascal Flatts), "Big Deal" (Leann Rimes), "Cowboy In Me" (Tim McGraw), "Speed" (Montgomery Gentry)

Tim Nichols: "Live Like You Were Dying" (Tim McGraw), "Girls Lie Too" (Terri Clark), "That'd Be All Right" (Alan Jackson), "Heads Carolina Tails California" (Jo Dee Messina)

Craig Wiseman: "Live Like You Were Dying" (Tim McGraw), "The Good Stuff" (Kenny Chesney), "Hell Yeah" (Montgomery Gentry), "Another Day In Paradise" (Phil Vassar)

For information about Joe's Pub, visit JoesPub.com or call (212) 539-8778. Getting there: 425 Lafayette Street between East 4th and Astor Place in New York's East Village.

The 39th Annual CMA Awards take place Tuesday, November 15 (8:00-11:00 PM /ET) live from Madison Square Garden in New York City on the CBS Television Network. The CMA Awards are hosted by Brooks & Dunn.

BMI saluted the top country music songwriters, artists and publishers at its 2005 Country Awards, staged October 18 at the performing rights organization's Music Row offices. The black-tie ceremony was hosted by Del Bryant, BMI President and CEO, and Paul Corbin, Vice President of Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville, who presented Certificates of Achievement to the writers and publishers of the 50 most performed country songs in the BMI repertoire.

Tim McGraw's smash "Live Like You Were Dying," written by Tim Nichols, was named Song of the Year; three-time Grammy winner Harley Allen, Big & Rich's Big Kenny and Lonestar frontman Richie McDonald shared the Songwriter of the Year crown; and Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville was named Publisher of the Year. A highlight of the gala was a tribute to legendary artist Charlie Daniels, who was honored as a BMI Icon for his "enduring influence on generations of music makers."

Charlie Daniels	Tim Nichols

"Live Like You Were Dying" earned the 37th Robert J. Burton Award as Most Performed Country Song of the Year for writer Tim Nichols and publishers Nichols Worth Music and Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. The title track from McGraw's triple-platinum CD, the inspirational hit spent a record-breaking 10 weeks at #1 and won every award for which it was nominated since its release in 2004, including multiple Grammy, CMA, ACM, Billboard, NSAI and CMT awards.

Harley Allen	Big Kenny	Richie McDonald

BMI writers Harley Allen, Big Kenny and Richie McDonald tied to claim the Country Songwriter of the Year trophy with three tunes each on the most performed list. Songs earning them the prestigious title were Allen's "Awful, Beautiful Life," "If Nobody Believed In You" and "My Last Name"; Big Kenny's "Holy Water," "Here for the Party" and "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)"; and McDonald's "Let Them Be Little," "Mr. Mom" and "Let's Be Us Again." McDonald also penned BMI's 2002 Country Song of the Year, "I'm Already There."

With 15 songs on this year's list, Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville (through its companies Sony/ATV Acuff Rose and Sony/ATV Tree) picked up its fourth consecutive Publisher of the Year Crystal by once again accumulating the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs.

The evening culminated in the Icon tribute to Charlie Daniels, which featured a musical salute by country artists Travis Tritt and Montgomery Gentry. With a career that spans nearly four decades, Daniels has connected with millions of fans around the world with his mix of rock, country, bluegrass, blues and gospel.

Songs like "Uneasy Rider," "In America," "Long Haired Country Boy," "The South's Gonna Do It Again," "Wichita Jail," and the Southern rock classic "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," are a part of the American musical landscape. His legendary Charlie Daniels Band, twice named the ACM's Touring Band of the Year, logged more than a million miles on the road, traveling in a convoy of buses and gleaming black tractor-trailer rigs that stopped traffic from coast to coast.

Among Daniels' numerous accolades are multiple BMI Pop and Country Awards, a Grammy, three CMA's, a Dove Award, the ACM Pioneer Award, and several Gold and Platinum albums totaling more than 18 million in sales. His signature song, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," simultaneously topped the country and pop charts and has amassed more than three million broadcast performances since its release in 1979. In addition to his own successful career, Daniels contributed to recording sessions for a diverse array of artists including Bob Dylan, Al Kooper, Flatt & Scruggs, Ringo Starr and Marty Robbins.

The 2005 BMI Country Awards also honored songwriters Bob DiPiero, Ed Hill, Tommy Lee James, Toby Keith, Vicky McGehee, Shania Twain, Keith Urban and Song of the Year writer Tim Nichols, who had two songs each on the list of 50.

Multiple publisher awards went to Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc./Zomba Songs Inc. (9); Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (6); Universal Music Publishing (Songs of Universal, Inc. and Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.) (5); Coburn Music, Inc. (4); Big Love Music, EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc., Harley Allen Music and Mike Curb Music (3); and Big Yellow Dog Music, Cake Taker Music, Dimensional Songs of the Knoll, Guitar Monkey Music, Loon Echo, Inc., Love Monkey Music, Music Hill Music/Sagrabeaux Songs, Nichols Worth Music, Still Working For The Man Music, Inc., Tokeco Tunes and Tommy Lee James Songs (2 each).

BMI's Bradley Collins and Mark Mason, James Dean Hicks, Charlie Bauer, Tim Nichols, Key West Mayor Jimmy Weekly, Philip & Amber White, Chris Wallin and Craig Wiseman

The roster of talent who performed during the festival included BMI-Award winning tunesmiths Bart Allmand ("You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl"), Chuck Cannon ("American Soldier"), James Dean Hicks ("Jesus and Mama"), Chuck Jones ("Love a Little Stronger"), Jay Knowles ("She'll Leave You With a Smile"), Kendell Marvel ("Right Where I Need To Be"), Wendell Mobley ("I Melt"), Tim Nichols ("Live Like You Were Dying"), James Slater ("In My Daughter's Eyes"), Keith Stegall ("I Do Cherish You"), Phillip White ("I'm a Survivor") and D. Vincent Williams ("I'm Movin' On").

Patrick Davis and Jedd Hughes at Hog's Breath Saloon

Additional performers on the bill were Asylum Records artist Lee Brice, Patrick Davis ("This Life"), Dillon Dixon ("For a Lack of Better Words"), D-Tox, BNA Records artist Morgane Haynes, MCA Nashville artist Jedd Hughes, EMI Music Publishing writer Jamey Johnson, Key West songster Scott Kirby, Cory Mayo ("Break the Record"), Vicki McGehee ("When I Think About Cheatin'"), RCA Nashville artist John Pierce, Kylie Sackley ("Nothin' 'Bout Love Makes Sense"), DreamWorks Music writer Jen Schott, Dallas Davidson and Randy Houser ("Honky Tonk Badonkadonk").

D. Vincent Williams, Dillon Dixon and James Dean Hicks at Green Parrot

Other sponsors included Sheraton Suites Key West, the Conch House, Pirate Scooters, Hampton Inn, Fairfield Inn, Nashville Underground, Hyatt Key West, Barcardi, Budweiser, Louie's Backyard, Kelly's, NSAI, American Airlines and ClearChannel.

Jen Schott performs at Southernmost Hotel & Resort	Kylie Sackley and Charlie Bauer

Chuck Cannon at Schooner Wharf	Wendell Mobley at the Hog's Breath Saloon Writers Room

Jamey Johnson, Kendell Marvel and Randy Houser at Schooner Wharf

Philip & Amber White perform on the Fury catamaran

Festival coordinator and MC Drew Reid, EMI's Tom Luteran, BMI's Perry Howard, Dallas Davidson

Chuck Jones and Keith Stegall at Pier House

James Slater and Tim Nichols at Schooner Wharf

photos by Alan Mayor and Brian Tipton

Alison Krauss	Tim McGraw	Keith Urban

Krauss earned kudos for Vocal Event and Video for her contribution to "Whiskey Lullaby." McGraw's recording of "Live Like You Were Dying" scored Single and Song of the Year nods; writer Tim Nichols, producers Byron Gallimore and Darran Smith and Warner-Tamerlane Music Publishing claimed statuettes for the song as well. Top Male Vocalist victor Urban also won Album honors for Be Here.

Byron Gallimore	Darran Smith	Chris LeDoux

Brooks & Dunn won a fifth consecutive award for Top Vocal Duo and Rascal Flatts received their third consecutive Top Vocal Group trophy. Chris LeDoux was posthumously bestowed the Academy of Country Music Pioneer Award, and Miranda Lambert was named Cover Girl Fresh Face of Country Music.

Brooks & Dunn	Miranda Lambert

BMI's 2005 Academy of Country Music Award winners:

Top Male Vocalist
Keith Urban

Top Vocal Group
Rascal Flatts

Top Vocal Duo
Brooks & Dunn

Single Record of the Year
"Live Like You Were Dying"
Tim McGraw - artist
Tim McGraw, Byron Gallimore, Darran Smith - producers

Rascal Flatts	James Stroud

Song of the Year
"Live Like You Were Dying"
Tim Nichols - writer
Warner-Tamerlane Music Publishing - publisher
Tim McGraw - artist

Album of the Year
Be Here
Keith Urban

Vocal Event of the Year
"Whiskey Lullaby"
Alison Krauss

Video of the Year
"Whiskey Lullaby"
Alison Krauss

Stuart Duncan	Brent Mason	Randy Scruggs

Producer of the Year
James Stroud

Fiddle Player of the Year
Stuart Duncan

Steel Guitar Player of the Year
Dan Dugmore

Guitar Player of the Year
Brent Mason

Specialty Instrument Player of the Year
Randy Scruggs