The 2008 recipients are as follows:

Dr. Will Kaufman is a Reader in English and American Studies at the University of Central Lancashire (UK), and has published widely on many aspects of American culture. His project, Woody Guthrie and the Cultural Front, grows out of a performance-based program that Kaufman has presented for the past year and a half. Kaufman’s research at the Archives will explore Guthrie’s cultural position by examining his relationship to narratives associated with the American cultural front, ultimately culminating in a book that will reaffirm Guthrie’s radicalism.

Damian Carpenter is a PhD candidate in the English department at Texas A&M University, where he is working towards a dissertation on mid-century folk music and it’s cultural impact. His project, Woody Sez and Dylan Weave: The Continuing Tradition of the Outlaw in American Folk Music, will build upon Carpenter’s previous work on Folk Music, including his 2006 Judas! article “Living in the Land of Nod: Dylan’s Vision of America.”

Sophi Hronopoulos is an educator and activist whose project, Woody Guthrie on Turtle Island, will develop educational materials that link Guthrie’s philosophy with a broadly defined sense of Native American values. Originally from Australia, Hronopoulos has a strong background in education and an active interest in Native American culture that together provide a solid basis for her research, in which she will attempt to discover what Guthrie’s lyrics reveal about Native Americans

Sandra Hale Schulman is a filmmaker and writer who has conducted extensive research on Peter LaFarge, a folksinger who was greatly incluenced by Guthrie. Schulman’s research at the Archives will culminate in book entitled “The Ballad of Peter LaFarge: Native America’s Protest Pioneer.”

Joe Seamons is a young musician and teacher based in Portland, OR whose project, Woody’s Journey Up the Columbia Travelogue, will develop public performance programs, classroom material, and a website that focus on the time Guthrie spent in along the Columbia River in 1941.

Established in 1972, the Woody Guthrie Foundation is a non-profit organization that serves as administrator and caretaker of the Woody Guthrie Archives. Dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of information about Woody Guthrie's vast cultural legacy, the WGA houses the largest collection of Woody Guthrie material in the world. Since it's opening in 1996, the Woody Guthrie Archives has been a major success and has become an important resource for the general public, musicians, singers, songwriters, scholars, and public and private cultural institutions wishing to access the research collection.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, more than 95% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.

Established in 1972, the Woody Guthrie Foundation is a non-profit organization that serves as administrator and caretaker of the Woody Guthrie Archives. Dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of information about Woody Guthrie's vast cultural legacy, the Woody Guthrie Archives houses the largest collection of Woody Guthrie material in the world. Since its opening in 1996, the Woody Guthrie Archives has become an important resource for the general public, musicians, singers, songwriters, scholars, and public and private cultural institutions wishing to access the research collection. More information on the Woody Guthrie Archives and Foundation may be found at woodyguthrie.org.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, more than 97% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.

BMI songwriters dominate the selections, representing 58% of the individuals and groups. The variety and superiority of the material attests not only to the wide-ranging talents of BMI songwriters but also the consistency of BMI’s involvement with all eralms of music throughout the course of its history. The diversity of styles and genres included is remarkable, ranging from folk (Woody Guthrie) to rap (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five), jazz (Miles Davis) to punk (Sex Pistols), blues (Howlin’ Wolf) to country (Hank Williams), rhythm & blues (Sam Cooke) to soul (Aretha Franklin), disco (Chic) to folk-rock (Fairport Convention), the over-the-top (Velvet Underground & Nico) to the indefinable (Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band).

As with any list, arguments are invited and disagreements encouraged. The following are BMI’s representatives in Mojo’s decisions, including their number in the final grouping.

For the complete list, consult mojo4music.com or rocklistmusic.co.uk/mojo.html.

BMI Songwriters on the MOJO List:

Animals: “The House of the Rising Sun” [#86]
Anthology of American Folk Music [#8]
Beach Boys: Pet Sounds [#21]
The Beatles: “I Want To Hold Your Hand” [#2]
                       Revolver [#40]
                      Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band [#16]
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band: Trout Mask Replica [#51]
Chuck Berry: “Johnny B. Goode” [#12]
Big Youth: Screaming Target [#76]
David Bowie: The Rise and Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And the Spiders From Mars [#31]
                       Low [#64]
James Brown: “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” [#15]
Jeff Buckley: Grace [#37]
The Byrds: Sweetheart of the Rodeo [#57]
Ray Charles: “What’d I Say” [#9]
Chic: “Good Times” [#54]
John Coltrane: My Favorite Things [#60]
Sam Cooke: “You Send Me” [#47]
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue [#43]
Lonnie Donegan: “Rock Island Line” [#38]
Nick Drake: Five Leaves Left [#78]
Brian Eno: Discreet Music [#68]
Fairport Convention: Liege & Lief [#58]
Aretha Franklin: “I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You” [#18]
Gang Of Four: Entertainment [#77]
Gnarls Barkley: “Crazy” [#100]
Davy Graham with Alexis Korner: 3/4AD [#35]
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five: “The Message” [#29]
Woody Guthrie: Dust Bowl Ballads [#13]
Billie Holiday : “Strange Fruit” [#67]
Buddy Holly: “That’ll Be The Day” [#52]
Howlin’ Wolf: The Rocking Chair Album [#23]
Michael Jackson: Thriller [#33]
Carole King: Tapestry [#74]
John Lennon: Plastic Ono Band [#55]
The Libertines: Up The Bracket [#94]
Little Richard: “Tutti Frutti” [# 1]
Love [#66]
MC5: Kick Out The Jams [#69]
New York Dolls [#39]
Nirvana: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” [#27]
Nuggets [#42]
N.W.A.: Straight Outta Compton [#61]
Oasis: Definitely Maybe [#89]
Charlie Parker: “Koko” [#26]
Pixies: Surfer Rosa [#79]
Elvis Presley: “Heartbreak Hotel” {#3]
R.E.M.: Murmur [#75]
Rolling Stones: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” [#19]
                          “Sympathy For The Devil:” [#48]
Ronettes: “Be My Baby” [#45]
Sex Pistols: “God Save the Queen” [#10]
The Shadows: “Apache” [#84]
The Smiths: This Charming Man [#80]
Sonic Youth: EVOL [#85]
The Stone Roses [#99]
The Stooges: Funhouse [#36]
Television: Marquee Moon [#97]
Upsetters: Blackboard Jungle Dub [#59]
The Velvet Underground & Nico [#7]
The Who: “My Generation” [#44]
Hank Williams: “Move It On Over” [#30]
Link Wray: “Rumble” [#41]

The outift, whose music draws upon Jewish and Eastern European traditions, paired with one of the most traditional of American artists for the winning entry: the late Woody Guthrie. Wonder Wheel featured Guthrie lyrics unearthed by Guthrie’s daughter Nora. The album also highlighted Klezmatics vocalist Lorin Sklamberg singing in English throughout as opposed to the group’s usually mandated Yiddish.

While many people interpret klezmer music as described above, the Klezmatics’ Frank London gave Israel National Radio a more streamlined definition in 2004: “Klezmer is the instrumental music — not vocals because then it’s not klezmer — of the East-European Jews who spoke the Yiddish language and the way that that music developed in the Diaspora.”

Over the last two decades, the Klezmatics have created a unique universe for themselves by managing to be traditional and progressive at the same time. Throughout their career, the Klezmatics have embraced political and religious statements as comfortably as their musical instruments. On the post-9/11 Rise Up! Shteyt Oyf, the group questions the horrific actions done in the name of religion. They have similarly opened their arms wide to all styles of music, as evident on Rhythm + Jews, which tied in African and Arabic rhythms with Eastern European music.

Unbelievably, the members of the Klezmatics came together when they answered an ad in New York’s Village Voice newspaper seeking musicians for a klezmer band. An initial chemistry united the group’s members and does unto this day: five of the six current bandmates played on the Klezmatics’ first album, 1988’s Shvaygn =Toyt (Yiddish for “Silence equals Death”).

While the Klezmatics may be relatively unknown to the mainstream pop world, they have worked with some of the world’s top artists, including violinist Itzhak Perlman, beat poet Allen Ginsberg, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner and singer/songwriter Ben Folds.

BMI, Turning Leaf Vineyards, and Hewlett Packard (HP) will present live performances by songwriters BMI Tyler Hilton, Chris Stills, Julianna Raye and William Tell during the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, being held Jan. 18-28 in Park City, Utah. Turning Leaf, a sponsor of the Film Fest, will be hosting the performances in the "Leaf Lounge," an exclusive wine bar that will be free and open to the public (21 and over only; capacity restrictions apply).

Tyler Hilton	Chris Stills

Each one-hour performance is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at the Leaf Lounge, which will be located at 751 Main Street in Park City. Tyler Hilton will perform on Saturday, Jan. 20; Chris Stills will perform on Sunday, Jan. 21; Chris Stills and Julianne Raye will perform together on Monday, Jan. 22; and William Tell will perform on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

Julianna Raye	William Tell

"We're thrilled to partner with BMI and HP again this year to bring such a superb array of singer/songwriters to Sundance," said Noelle Campbell of Turning Leaf. "These young artists will be an exciting addition to the experience we offer festival-goers in the Leaf Lounge."

"We're happy to have this opportunity for our songwriters at Sundance, as it gives both the public and the filmmaking community an opportunity to discover four of the most vital voices in music today," said Tracie Verlinde, Senior Director, Writer/Publisher Relations at BMI. "It's a unique opportunity for the public to participate in a Sundance Film Festival event and hear music that has become a soundtrack for filmmakers and the stories they tell."

Palm Springs, Calif., native Tyler Hilton is an accomplished singer/songwriter/actor, having released his major label debut, The Tracks Of, to much acclaim along with film and television support. His first single, "When It Comes," climbed through the charts and also saw him embark on the Virgin College Megatour with Michelle Branch. On the acting side, Hilton played the role of a young Elvis Presley in the feature film Walk the Line, and also had a recurring role on the WB Television series One Tree Hill. Music being his first passion, Tyler has continued touring, selling out multiple venues on the West Coast performing what has been described as "...ebullient, contemplative blues-folk ballads...and music in the grand tradition of songwriters like Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie."

It has been said that Chris Stills has the "perfect storm" in his gene pool. A talented singer/songwriter who is as adept in French as he is in English, Stills has created his own path in his parents' footsteps - Stephen Stills (of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) and French chanteuse Veronique Sanson. With an immaculate sense of melody and an earth-shatteringly beautiful voice, he has released two CDs, with his second, self-titled CD slated for a U.S. release this April. He journeys to the Sundance Film Festival to promote the music for the film, Resurrecting the Champ, for which he wrote, performed and produced two songs. The film is directed by Rod Lurie and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Josh Hartnett, Alan Alda and Teri Hatcher. Lurie and Julianna Raye co-wrote two songs, "Quiet Poems" and "Every Eden," for the film, and Chris and Julianna sing on both of them.

Julianna Raye has captured time with her still-life songwriting. Entertainment Weekly described Julianna's songs as "languidly gorgeous ballads, [that evoke] a timeless L.A..." and Billboard characterized her songwriting as "...rich and emotionally searing work." A striking songwriter of stylistic diversity, Raye's sound ranges from torchy to reflective, captivating the listener and showing her uniformly superior talent. Raye co-wrote two songs for the film Resurrecting the Champ," which screens at the Sundance Film Festival.

William Tell is set to release his solo debut CD, You Can Hold Me Down, on New Records/UMe on March 6. The former songwriter/guitarist for alt-rock band Something Corporate, Tell's catchy hooks, stylish melodies and sharply emotional lyrics are a rock-strewn antidote for mindless pop. His unique style calls to mind elements of The Beach Boys and The Beatles with a modern, Southern California guitar-based flair. With a huge MySpace following and fans tracking him since his Something Corporate days, Tell's music will be setting the tone for 2007.

Visit BMI @ Sundance 2007

Applications are invited from scholars who are pursuing research topics or themes related to Woody Guthrie that explore his creative work and contribution to American music and culture. The postmark deadline for applications is Nov. 1, 2006 for projects beginning after Jan. 1, 2007. To apply or for more information, please click here.

In announcing the new program, Jackson commented, "Woody Guthrie's music and lyrics are timeless in their message and appeal, and we are delighted to be working with the WGA to make this important material available to scholars."

Best known for the American folk classic "This Land Is Your Land," Woodrow Wilson Guthrie was an influential and prolific singer and composer noted for his identification with the common man and for his abhorrence of fascism, politicians, hypocrisy and economic exploitation. He is the father of musician Arlo Guthrie.

Established in 1972, the Woody Guthrie Foundation is a non-profit organization that serves as administrator and caretaker of the Woody Guthrie Archives. Dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of information about the legendary BMI songwriter's vast cultural legacy, the WGA houses the largest collection of Woody Guthrie material in the world. Since its opening in 1996, the Woody Guthrie Archives has been an important resource for the general public, musicians, singers, songwriters, scholars, and public and private cultural institutions wishing to access the research collection.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, more than 97% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.]]> 2006-09-11T05:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334671 Artists, Brand, Oscar, Davis, Guy, Guthrie, Woody, King, B.B., Leadbelly, Monroe, Bill Congratulations to BMI songwriter Oscar Brand, who recently celebrated his 60th anniversary as host of the weekly "Folksong Festival" show on New York public radio station WNYC-AM820. The milestone earned the award-winning program a place in the 2006 Guinness Book of World Records as the "Longest Running Radio Series with the Same Host." The show also won him one of his two Peabody Awards in 1995.

Folksong Festival remains one of the few programs devoted to the traditional and contemporary folk song. Over the years, the show has survived battles with mayors and blacklists. Throughout, WNYC has never censored the program nor prevented it from airing at its regular time.

"I was the only place a lot of singers could get on the air in those years," he says. "And the station backed me 100%. I've always respected WNYC for that."

Legendary artists such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie, Leadbelly and Pete Seeger all made their debuts on Brand's program. Guest performers have also included Burl Ives, Bill Monroe, Harry Belafonte, Judy Collins, Odetta, Merle Travis, John Denver, B.B. King and Harry Chapin.

From his first broadcast on December 10, 1945, Brand has never been paid for his efforts and has essentially marked six decades as a volunteer. His anniversary show featured a round-robin with singer/songwriter Christine Lavine, country blues artist Guy Davis and his old friend Jean Ritchie.

In addition to radio show host, some of Brand's many titles include folk singer, recording artist, songwriter, guitarist, bawdy song balladeer, sea chantey performer, radio broadcaster, television program host, special events director, emcee, Broadway musical composer, playwright, actor, author, storyteller, musicologist, historian and children's recording artist.

His name can be found among the credits of 75 documentary films, such as Gulf's Invisible Journey and Ford's Highway By the Sea. He has collected Peabody, Ohio State, Edison and Emmy Awards for his hundreds of television shows, and was for four years host of Procter and Gamble's top-rated Canadian series, Let's Sing Out. He was music director of NBC-TV's Sunday Show, Exploring and Treasure Chest series, and was host and composer for The First Look and the NBC syndicated show Spirit of '76. As a leading performer for children on TV, records and films, he served on the advisory panel that created Sesame Street.

Brand is the curator of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, author of seven best-selling books, has recorded 90 LPs, and has written songs for Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Belafonte, the Smothers Brothers and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He has been on the faculty of The New School, New York University and Hofstra University, and holds a B.S. in Psychology from Brooklyn College, a Laureate from Fairfield University and an honorary Doctorate from the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, where he was born.]]> 2006-01-31T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334681 Jackson, Ralph, Bryant, Del, Guthrie, Woody, Foundation Woody Guthrie Archives (WGA) and Foundation, have announced the winners of the fist annual Woody Guthrie Fellowship. The program funds research fellowships for scholars to use the rich and extensive holdings available at the WGA in New York City.

BMI Foundation President Ralph Jackson, Woody Guthrie Fellowship winner Ed Shannon, WGA Executive Director Nora Guthrie and BMI President & CEO Del Bryant. photo by Gary Gershoff

The recipients are Mark Pedelty, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Minnesota, whose project "Woody and the River: Examining the Relationship between Land and Labor in Woody Guthrie's Life and Art" provides a model of active research and pedagogy; Seth Archer, author of Reading the Riot Acts, an investigation by the young literature lecturer at Boston College into cultural and economic race relations in Oklahoma during Guthrie's early years, which examines the impact of the folk artist's racial and creative perspective; Literature Professor Ed Shannon of Ramapo College in New Jersey traces the origins and development of Guthrie's folk anthem in his project, "This Land is Your Land: The History of a Song"; and Moose Farrell, an artist who explores the magic and mythology of land, will create a series of paintings and "artist books" inspired by Guthrie's words for an exhibition entitled "In God's Country."

Established in 1972, the Woody Guthrie Foundation is a non-profit organization that serves as administrator and caretaker of the Woody Guthrie Archives. Dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of information about Woody Guthrie's vast cultural legacy, the WGA houses the largest collection of Woody Guthrie material in the world. Since it's opening in 1996, the Woody Guthrie Archives has been a major success and has become an important resource for the general public, musicians, singers, songwriters, scholars, and public and private cultural institutions wishing to access the research collection.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, more than 97% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.]]> 2005-11-19T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/234366 Guthrie, Woody, Country, Foundation, Important Ralph N. Jackson, President of the BMI Foundation, Inc., and Nora Guthrie, Executive Director of the Woody Guthrie Archives (WGA) and Foundation, today announced the establishment of the Woody Guthrie Fellowship Program. The 2005 program will award two research fellowships, with a value of up to $2,500 each, to fund travel and living expenses for scholars to use the rich and extensive holdings available at the WGA in New York City.

Applications are invited from scholars who are pursuing research topics or themes related to Woody Guthrie that explore his creative work and contribution to American music and culture. In announcing the new program, Jackson said: "Woody Guthrie's music and lyrics are timeless in their message and appeal and we are delighted to be working with the WGA to make this important material available to scholars."

Click here for applications and more information. The postmark deadline for submitting materials is May 31, 2005.

Established in 1972, the Woody Guthrie Foundation is a non-profit organization that serves as administrator and caretaker of the Woody Guthrie Archives. Dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of information about Woody Guthrie's vast cultural legacy, the Woody Guthrie Archives houses the largest collection of Woody Guthrie material in the world. Since it's opening in 1996, the Woody Guthrie Archives has been a major success, becoming an important resource for the general public, musicians, singers, songwriters, scholars, and public and private cultural institutions wishing to access the research collection.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, more than 97% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.]]> 2005-03-07T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/234041 Artists, Guthrie, Woody, Haggard, Merle, Hall, Tom T., Keith, Toby, Nelson, Willie, Parnell, Lee Roy, Reynolds, Leigh, Trick Pony, Musical Styles, Blues, Country Merle Haggard was the man of the hour during a BMI-hosted reception on April 19 celebrating the release of 40 #1 Hits on Capitol Nashville. Haggard received a Special Citation of Appreciation from BMI in recognition of his 42-year affiliation with the performing rights organization. Among his BMI songwriting honors are two-time Country Songwriter of the Year and more than 50 BMI Pop and Country Awards. In addition to toasting the release of the 2-CD #1 collection, Capitol President & CEO Mike Dungan presented a plaque that commemorated "50 albums in five decades."

BMI's Paul Corbin, band member/co-writer Freddy Powers, Bobby Bare, Merle Haggard, Toby Keith, BMI's Joyce Rice

Merle Haggard, Capitol's Mike Dungan

Haggard is also on tour promoting his critically acclaimed Hag Records debut, Haggard Like Never Before. Its current single is Woody Guthrie's "Reno Blues (Philadelphia Lawyer)," a duet with Willie Nelson.

Liz & Casey Anderson, Hope Powell

Capitol's Larry Willoughby, Leigh Reynolds, Carl Jackson

BMI's Thomas Cain, Sonny Curtis	Billy Deaton, BMI's Nancy Moore

XM Radio's Shannon McCombs, "Country Music Across America" host Storme Warren, Country Music Hall of Fame's Kyle Young

Janine & Ronnie Dunn, Merle Haggard, BMI's Joyce Rice, Lee Roy Parnell, Donna KcKenzie

Trick Pony's Ira Dean, Chuck Howard, Merle Haggard

Tom T. Hall, Merle Haggard, Jeannie Seely, Dixie Hall

Photos by Steve Lowry