The 13th Annual Hog's Breath Key West Songwriters Festival looms enticingly on the horizon. Presented by Cherry Heart Music and proudly supported by charter sponsor BMI, the event is slated for April 30 through May 4 in Key West, Florida. The festival revolves around five days and nights of more than 20 free shows, staged at an array of the island's most popular drinking holes and hot spots. Informal adaptations of Nashville's signature in-the-round acoustic showcases dominate much of the schedule, while this year, a street concert Saturday, May 3 featuring the Jeffrey Steele Band and Robert Earl Keen adds a Mardis Gras fillip to the mix.

BMI songwriters dominate the diverse lineups. Americana trendsetters including Robert Earl Keen, Raul Malo, Kim Richey and John Oates will perform alongside Nashville's most engaging and prolific hitmakers, including Jeffrey Steele (Rascal Flatts' "What Hurts the Most"), John Scott Sherrill (Steve Wariner's "Some Fools Never Learn"), Wendell Mobley (Rascal Flatts' "Fast Cars & Freedom"), Jamey Johnson (George Strait's "Give It Away"), Scotty Emerick (Toby Keith's "As Good As I Once Was"), David Lee (Tim McGraw's "I Need You," featuring Faith Hill), Keith Follese (Tim McGraw's "Something Like That"), Jim Beavers (Gary Allan's "Watching Airplanes"), Heather Little (Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder and Lead"), Steve Bogard (Dierks Bentley's "Every Mile A Memory"), Bobby Pinson (Sugarland's "Want To"), Doug Johnson (Randy Travis's "Three Wooden Crosses"), Chas Sandford (John Waite's "Missing You"), Chuck Cannon (Toby Keith's "How Do You Like Me Now"), Max T. Barnes (Diamond Rio's "That's How Your Love Makes Me Feel"), Chuck Jones (Chris LeDoux's "Cadillac Ranch"), Rodney Clawson (Jason Aldean's "Why"), Gary Hannan (Joe Nichols's "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off"), Billy Yates (George Jones's "Choices"), Jerrod Niemann (Garth Brooks' "Good Ride Cowboy") and Dallas Davidson (Trace Adkins's "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk"), with Curb recording artist Lee Brice (Garth Brooks' "More Than A Memory"), singer/songwriters Heather Morgan, Stephanie Chapman and Lauren Lucas and Orange County rock outfit Lit's Jeremy Popoff.

For a complete list of sponsoring hotels, local businesses, schedules and participating songwriters, please visit www.keywestsongwritersfestival.com or call 305.296.4222.

Key West and country music’s thirteen year love affair is anything but secret, and the Hog’s Breath Key West Songwriters Festival, presented by Cherry Heart Music and BMI, serves as the 13th annual spring rendezvous.

Live music bliss and a favorite of Key West locals, the event introduces brimming crowds to the songwriters behind smashes. Diverse lineups deliver rare, “Key West only” moments: Hit makers including Jeffrey Steele (Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most), Jamey Johnson (George Strait’s “Give It Away”) and Scotty Emerick (Toby Keith’s “As Good As I Once Was”) will perform alongside Americana trendsetters including Robert Earl Keen and Raul Malo. The festival revolves around five days and nights of more than 20 free shows, staged at an array of the island’s most popular drinking holes and hot spots. Informal adaptations of Nashville’s signature in-the-round acoustic showcases dominate much of the schedule, while this year, a street concert Saturday, May 3 featuring the Jeffrey Steele Band and Robert Earl Keen adds an enticing Mardis Gras fillip to the mix.

For a complete list of sponsoring hotels, local businesses and participating songwriters, please visit www.keywestsongwritersfestival.com or call 305.296.4222.

The BMI Country Awards turned a spry 55 years old as they were held tonight, Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the performing right organization's Music Row offices in Nashville. Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) - the first home for country music - was also the first U.S. organization to honor the genre's songwriters and publishers with their own awards show in 1953. BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and Jody Williams, Vice President of Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville, hosted the black-tie ceremony toasting the writers and publishers of the past year's 50 most-performed country songs in the BMI repertoire.

2007 BMI Country Awards: Award Winning Songs

Jeffrey Steele received his second Country Songwriter of the Year title, while his poignant composition "What Hurts The Most" earned the coveted Song of the Year crown. Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville snagged Publisher of the Year bragging rights for the sixth consecutive year, and a tribute to Willie Nelson recognized the newest BMI Icon's unifying music and humble dignity.

"What Hurts The Most," co-written by Jeffrey Steele and published by Gottahaveable Music and Bug Music/Songs of Windswept, landed the 39th Robert J. Burton Award, presented to the most performed country song of the year. Recorded by crossover titans Rascal Flatts, the nostalgic ballad earned a slew of accolades including two Grammy nominations, and became the group's fifth no. 1 single.

Nashville's best-selling artists have come to rely on 2007 Country Songwriter of the Year Jeffrey Steele's uncanny hitmaking prowess. Steele secured his first Country Songwriter of the Year win in 2003, and has spent the past four years enriching his bejeweled catalog, which includes five of this year's most performed songs: Rascal Flatts' "My Wish," "Me and My Gang," and "What Hurts the Most," Steve Holy's "Brand New Girlfriend" and Keith Anderson's "Every Time I Hear Your Name."

With 17 songs among this year's top 50, Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville (through its companies Sony/ATV Acuff Rose, Sony/ATV Songs LLC, Sony/ATV Melody and Sony/ATV Tree) picked up its sixth consecutive Publisher of the Year win. The publishing powerhouse accumulated the highest percentage of copyright ownership thanks to award songs including "Give It Away," "Would You Go With Me," "Every Mile A Memory," "Tim McGraw" and "Kerosene."

The capstone of the evening took the form of the Icon tribute to beloved legend Willie Nelson, featuring performances by fellow pioneers Kris Kristofferson and Emmylou Harris, along with contemporary country trendsetters Toby Keith, Josh Turner and Keith Urban. Willie Nelson's ascendance to internationally-renowned treasure is a singular path marked by self-belief and musical brilliance. As a BMI Icon, Nelson will perhaps be recognized most for his songwriting, which has long enraptured the entire world. His love of the offbeat and heedlessness of conventional time signatures have made Nelson an innovative and inimitable guitarist. As a singer, his deft phrasing and naked sincerity are irresistible. A romantic aesthete, Willie Nelson makes all that he touches beautiful. The Texas native's "Crazy," "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground," "Funny How Time Slips Away," "On the Road Again" and "Good Hearted Woman" merely skim the surface of a catalog stacked with unvarnished classics. Famous for his ceaseless touring, Nelson is an untiring philanthropist and humanitarian, most visibly through Willie-coined events including Farm Aid.

The 2007 BMI Country Awards also honored hit songwriters Brett Beavers, Rodney Clawson, Jamey Johnson, Tony Martin, Bill Anderson, Steve Bogard, Scotty Emerick, Toby Keith, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Bobby Pinson and the Warren Brothers, who each supplied two or more songs to the top 50 list.

Publishers EMI Blackwood Music, Inc; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.; Jeffrey Steele Music Group; Bug Music/Songs of Windswept; Universal Music Publishing Group; Big Gassed Hitties; Brett Beavers Music Group; Gold Watch Music; Music of Stage Three and StyleSonic Music each took home three or more awards.

A founding sponsor, BMI has helped the festival evolve into a highly anticipated destination for Nashville hit makers. The event’s emphasis on the songs and camaraderie of minds that create them has attracted a diverse collection of new participants each year. First-time attendees this year include hit songwriters Keith Follese, Marty Dodson and Bobby Pinson, auspicious singer/songwriters Luke Laird, Jimmy Stewart and Brandon Jane, up-and-comers Courtney Dashe and Jennifer Stegall, and alt-country heroines Suzi Ragsdale and Kate York.

The list of BMI artists and songwriters slated to attend this year features a jaw-dropping array of talent. Performers include Hugh Prestwood, Keith Stegall, Jamey Johnson, Scotty Emerick, Vicky McGehee, Wendell Mobley, Bart Allmand, Randy Houser, Wayd Battle, Chuck Cannon, Kent Blazy, Lee Brice, Morgane Hayes, D. Vincent Williams, Kylie Sackley, Phillip White, Amber White, Arlis Albritton, Billy Joe Walker, Jr. , Sherrié Austin, Christi Bauerlee, Christina Bell, Kris Bergsnes, Craig Boyd, Richie Brown, John Stone, Deanna Bryant, Lisa Carver, Stephanie Chapman, James Slater, Cliff Cody, Doug Colton, Dallas Davidson, Brian Davis, Fred Wilhelm, Dillon Dixon, Rob Hatch, Pete Sallis, James Dean Hicks, Aleysha Hoffman, Natalie Howard, Kyle Jacobs, Tim James, Ken Johnson, Chuck Jones, David Lee, Levi Simms, Cole Lee, Lauren Lucas, John Mabe, Will Rambeaux, Jason Matthews, Lila McCann, Chas Sandford, Jim McCormick, Jimmy Melton, Sally Mudd, Danny Myrick, Anna Owens, Melissa Pierce, Leslie Satcher, Jen Schott, Elisa Vazzana, Bruce Wallace, Emily West, Melinda Williams, Blake Wise and trio Rhiannon.

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

BMI Performer Schedule at 2007 Key West Songwriters’ Festival

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

6-8pm - Kick-Off show @ The Top (La Concha Hotel on Duval)
7-7:45pm - James Slater

8pm -  Rum Barrel
8pm -  Randy Houser, Brian Davis & Jon Stone
9:30pm - Southland

10pm -  Conch Republic
10pm -  Jamey Johnson, Bobby Pinson & David Lee
10:45pm -  Scotty Emerick
11:30pm -  D. Vincent Williams & Chuck Jones

10pm-2am -  Hog/BMI Stage
The Massacoustics

Thursday, May 3, 2007

1-8pm - Hog/BMI Stage
1-3pm - Cliff Cody & Arlis Albritton
3-4pm - Christina Bell & Mike Loudermilk
4-5pm - Natalie Howard & Katy Kiefer
5-6pm - Sally Mudd & Christi Bauerlee
6-8pm - Pete Sallis & Jim McCormick

4pm - Blue Heaven
4pm - Phillip & Amber White, Cory Heydon, Suzi Ragsdale
4:45pm - Lauren Lucas, Stephanie Chapm - an, Kate York, Misty Loggins
5:30pm - Leslie Satcher, Kent Blazy, Jason Matthews, Courtney Dashe

8pm - Pier House Beach Show hosted by Scott Kirby
8pm - Lila McCann, Jen Schott, Melissa Pierce, Lisa Carver
8:45pm - Keith Stegall & Jen Stegall
9:15pm - Kylie Sackley & Lee Brice
10pm -  Brandon Jane, Luke Laird, Sherrié Austin, Jimmy Stewart

10pm -  Cowboy Bill’s
10pm -  Jon Mabe, Billy Joe Walker, Jr., Anna Owens, Blake Wise
11pm -  Tim James, Fred Wilhelm, Bruce Wallace & Jimmy Melton
12am Wayd Battle, Ritchie Brown, Dallas Davidson, Chas Sandford

10pm-2am - Hog/BMI Stage
The Massacoustics

Friday, May 4, 2007

1-8pm - Hog/BMI Stage
1-2pm - Southland
2-3pm - Ken Johnson & Ben Margulies
3-4pm - Rhiannon
4-5pm - Doug Colton & Aleysha Hoffman
5-6pm - Jon Mabe & Friends
6-7pm - Pat McLaughlin
7-8pm - Fred Wilhelm & Friends

4pm - Sloppy Joes
4pm - Willie Mack, Tim James, Deanna Bryant, Sherrié Austin
5pm - Kyle Jacobs, Blake Wise, Bart Allmand, Danny Myrick

5:30pm - Green Parrot “Sound Check”
5:30-6:45pm -    Southland

6pm - Fury Sunset Sail
Lee Brice & Kylie Sackley

6pm - Piano Show @ Doubletree
6pm -   Christina Bell & Mike Loudermilk
6:30pm - Chris Tompkins
7pm - James Slater & Dallas Davidson

8pm - Hog’s Breath Upstairs Writers Room
8pm - James Dean Hicks
8:30pm - Hugh Prestwood & Don Schlitz
9:15pm - Scotty Emerick
10pm -  Brett James, Hillary Lindsey & Luke Laird

8pm - Tropic Cinema
8pm - Dave Berg, Walt Aldridge, Wendell Mobley & Marty Dodson
9pm - Phillip & Amber White
9:45pm - Chuck Cannon & Chuck Jones

10pm -  Green Parrot
Dillon Dixon, James Dean Hicks & D. Vincent Williams

10pm - -2am Hog/BMI Stage
The Massacoustics

Saturday, May 5, 2007

1-5pm - Hog/BMI Stage
1-3pm - Pete Sallis & Jim McCormick
3-4pm - Jason Matthews
4-5pm - Kent Blazy

1pm - Southernmost Cinco De Mayo Pool Party
1-2pm - Rob Hatch, Cliff Cody, Dillon Dixon
2-3pm - Randy Houser, Brian Davis, Jon Stone

5pm - Cinco De Mayo Bash at Hog’s Breath

6pm - Fury Sunset Sail
Dillon Dixon & James Dean Hicks

8pm - Hog’s Breath Upstairs Writers Room
8pm - Bobby Pinson & Leslie Satcher
8:45pm - D. Vincent Williams & Wendell Mobley
9:30pm - Chuck Cannon & Chuck Jones

8pm - Tropic Cinema
8pm - Courtney Dashe, Misty Loggins, Kyle Jacobs & Jen Schott
9pm - Byron Hill, Hugh Prestwood, Pat McLaughlin, Keith Follese
10pm - Scotty Emerick

10pm - Buck’s Bottle Cap
10pm - Natalie Howard, Chas Sandford & David Lee
10:45pm - Phillip & Amber White
11:15pm - Jamey Johnson, Jon Stone, Wayd Battle

10pm - 2am Hog/BMI Stage
The Massacoustics

Sunday, May 6, 2007

1-5pm - Hog/BMI Stage
1-2pm - Christina Bell & Mike Loudermilk
2-3pm - Deanna Bryant
3-4pm - Suzi Ragsdale
4-5pm - Kate York

6pm - Sunset Show @ Westin
Christina Bell, Mike Loudermilk,  Natalie Howard, Katy Kiefer,  Billy Joe Walker, Jr., Anna Owens, Jon  Mabe, Chuck Jones, Chuck Cannon, Lisa Carver and many more.

Prior to the reception, Toby answered a flood of questions from the press

For Toby Keith, 2006 was a very good year. He claimed his third BMI Songwriter of the Year crown, while his hit "As Good As I Once Was" scored a BMI Song of the Year win and spun its way to BDS Nielson's most-played country song of the year. Fueled by all the spins, Toby's 2006 release White Trash with Money became his 12th platinum album. In September of '06, Toby made his feature film debut in Broken Bridges. The film's soundtrack made the highest country soundtrack debut in the history of SoundScan. Toby is currently climbing the charts with "High Maintenance Woman," the fastest-rising single of his career. It's the first release off his new album, Big Dog Daddy, which hits stores June 12, 2007.

BMI's Jody Williams praised Keith's "sharp intuition and the courage he's repeatedly shown in following it"

With over 30 million albums sold, Keith has remained BDS Nielson's most-played country artist every year since 2003. He is a musical phenomenon, star of the silver screen and an entrepreneur, but he is also a rebel, a humanitarian and a pioneer. A BMI affiliate since 1991, Toby Keith is first and foremost a songwriter, boasting 23 BMI Country Awards in addition to his three BMI Songwriter of the Year titles.

Toby's frequent co-writer and good friend Scotty Emerick performed a medley of tunes the two have written together

Toby Keith’s manager T.K. Kimbrell cracked both himself and the audience up during his entertaining and heartfelt speech

Toby and Harold Shedd shared a laugh. Shedd signed the then unknown Oklahoma native to his first record deal

"I would trade every award I have - I'd give 'em all away - for all my BMI Awards," Toby said. "BMI is the one show that I've never missed. I always come and I always support it. The integrity of the award is so much higher than any of the awards that you would get." Pictured are (l to r): longtime manager T.K. Kimbrell, Toby Keith and BMI's Jody Williams

BMI presented the co-writers and artist with the traditional No. 1 cups. Pictured are (l to r): BMI songwriter John Scott Sherrill, artist Josh Turner, BMI songwriter Shawn Camp and BMI's Jody Williams

The song's penmen, Camp and Sherrill, first experienced success as a pair when Brooks & Dunn took "How Long Gone" to the top of the charts. Separately, singer, songwriter and guitarist Shawn Camp records critically acclaimed albums of his own and writes jewels for masters of their domains like Guy Clark and Garth Brooks. Songwriting legend-in-the-making John Scott Sherrill's catalog keeps growing, with country standards including Steve Wariner's "Some Fools Never Learn" and Patty Loveless' "Nothin' But the Wheel" already under his belt.

The room filled up quickly with some of the most talented pickers and voices in town. Pictured are (l to r): BMI's David Preston, songwriter John Scott Sherrill, guitarist & singer/songwriter Pat McLaughlin, artist Josh Turner and BMI songwriter John Prine.

Classic country enthusiasts keep cheering on Josh Turner, whose first two albums have both been certified platinum. Turner's quintessential country pipes and songwriting know-how lay the foundation for his burgeoning career and promising future.

It was a good day for one of Nashville's premiere indie publishing companies, Big Yellow Dog, whose staff writers include John Scott Sherrill and Shawn Camp. Pictured are (l to r): artist Josh Turner, Big Yellow Dog's Carla Wallace, Sherrill, songwriter Sarah Siskind, Big Yellow Dog's Hallie Harris, songwriter Scotty Emerick, Camp and producer Frank Rogers.

Photos by Alan Mayor]]> 2006-11-22T03:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/534252 Aldean, Jason, Beathard, Casey, Beavers, Brett, Bentley, Dierks, Brooks & Dunn, Bush, Kristian, Camp, Shawn, Dalley, Amy, Davidson, Dallas, Dillon, Dean, DiPiero, Bob, Douglas, Tom, Dunn, Ronnie, Emerick, Scotty, Everett, Jace, Gentry, Montgomery, Hannan, Gary, Hicks, James Dean, Hill, Ed, Hill, Faith, Hughes, Jedd, Hughes, Jedd, Johnson, Doug, Keith, Toby, Kidd, Tammi, Kirkpatrick, Wayne, Lambert, Miranda, Linde, Dennis, Little Big Town, Lonestar, Luther, Bill, Martin, Tony, McBride, Martina, McDonald, Richie, McElroy, Jon, McEwan, Steve, McGehee, Vicky, McGraw, Tim, Melamed, Vince, Mobley, Wendell, Murrah Music, Myers, Frank, Niemann, Jerrod, Parton, Dolly, Pinson, Bobby, Rascal Flatts, Rochelle, Karyn, Shapiro, Tom, Shelton, Blake, Smith, Shaye, Steele, Jeffrey, Strait, George, Sugarland, Teren, George, Urban, Keith, Verges, Troy, White, Phillip, Wiggins, John, Country ALL JACKED UP
Vicky McGehee
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Oklahoma Girl Music
Gretchen Wilson
Epic Records

AS GOOD AS I ONCE WAS
Scotty Emerick
Toby Keith
Big Yellow Dog Music
Florida Cracker Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Tokeco Tunes
Toby Keith
DreamWorks

BELIEVE
Ronnie Dunn
Showbilly Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Brooks & Dunn
Arista Nashville

BETTER LIFE
Keith Urban
Guitar Monkey Music
Keith Urban
Capitol Records

BIG BLUE NOTE
Scotty Emerick
Toby Keith
Big Yellow Dog Music
Florida Cracker Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Tokeco Tunes
Toby Keith
DreamWorks/Show Dog Records

BILLY'S GOT HIS BEER GOGGLES ON
Phillip White
Katank Music
Murrah Music Corporation
Texabama Music
Neal McCoy
903 Music

BOONDOCKS
Karen Fairchild
Wayne Kirkpatrick
Kimberly Roads
Phillip Sweet
Jimi Westbrook
Sell The Cow Music
Tower One Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Little Big Town
Equity Music Group

CLASS REUNION (THAT USED TO BE US)
Richie McDonald
Frank Myers
Frank Myers Music
Sixteen Stars Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Lonestar
BNA

COME A LITTLE CLOSER
Brett Beavers
Run The Trotline Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Dierks Bentley
Capitol Records

DO YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT
Casey Beathard
Lavender Zoo Music
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Tim McGraw
Curb Records

DON'T ASK ME HOW I KNOW
Bart Butler
Bobby Pinson
Bill Butler Music
Bobby's Song and Salvage
Music of Stage Three
Bobby Pinson
RCA

DRUGS OR JESUS
Aimee Mayo
Troy Verges
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
Silverkiss Music
Songs from the Engine Room
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Tim McGraw
Curb Records

FAST CARS AND FREEDOM
Wendell Mobley
Lexi's Palm Tree Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Rascal Flatts
Lyric Street

GEORGIA RAIN
Ed Hill
Karyn Rochelle
Big Yellow Dog Music
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
Sagrabeaux Songs
Sony/ATV Tree
Trisha Yearwood
MCA Nashville

GOD'S WILL
Tom Douglas
Sony/ATV Tree
Tomdouglasmusic
Martina McBride
RCA

GOOD RIDE COWBOY
Richie Brown
Jerrod Niemann
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
First Wind Music
New Songs of Sea Gayle
Garth Brooks
Pearl/Lyric Street

GOODBYE TIME (2nd Award)
James Dean Hicks
Roger Murrah
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Blake Shelton
Warner Bros.

HELP SOMEBODY
Kip Raines
Jeffrey Steele
3 Ring Circus Music
Jeffrey Steele Music
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Van Zant
Columbia Records

HICKTOWN
Big Kenny
Vicky McGehee
Big Love Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Jason Aldean
Broken Bow

HOMEWRECKER
George Teren
House of Full Circle Music
Gretchen Wilson
Epic Records

HONKY TONK BADONKADONK
Dallas Davidson
Randy Houser
Jamey Johnson
Big Borassa Music LLC
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Trace Adkins
Capitol Records

HONKYTONK U
Toby Keith
Tokeco Tunes
Toby Keith
DreamWorks

(I NEVER PROMISED YOU A) ROSE GARDEN (7th Award)
Joe South
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Martina McBride
RCA

IF SOMETHING SHOULD HAPPEN
Dan DeMay
Atlantic Bridge Music
Music of Stage Three
Darryl Worley
DreamWorks

I'LL TAKE THAT AS A YES (THE HOT TUB SONG)
Jon McElroy
Vince Melamed
Senor Vicente Music
Songs of Mighty Isis
Vista Larga Music
Phil Vassar
Arista Nashville

LIKE WE NEVER LOVED AT ALL
Vicky McGehee
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Faith Hill
Warner Bros.

LONG, SLOW KISSES
Jeff Bates
Gordon Bradberry
New Works Music Co.
Smith Haven Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Jeff Bates
RCA

LOT OF LEAVIN' LEFT TO DO
Brett Beavers
Run The Trotline Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Dierks Bentley
Capitol Records

ME AND CHARLIE TALKING
Miranda Lambert
Heather Little
Nashville Star Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Tiltawhirl Music
Miranda Lambert
Epic Records

MY GIVE A DAMN'S BUSTED
Joe Diffie
Tony Martin
Tom Shapiro
Difftunes
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Mike Curb Music
Music of Stage Three
Sony/ATV Tree
Jo Dee Messina
Curb Records
MY OLD FRIEND
Steve McEwan (PRS)
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
Tim McGraw
Curb Records

MY SISTER
Amy Dalley
Music of Stage Three
Reba McEntire
MCA Nashville

NOBODY BUT ME
Shawn Camp
Phillip White
Big Yellow Dog Music
Murrah Music Corporation
Sony/ATV Tree
Travelin' Arkansawyer Music
Blake Shelton
Warner Bros.

PLAY SOMETHING COUNTRY
Ronnie Dunn
Terry McBride
Showbilly Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Still Working For The Man Music, Inc.
Turn Me On Music
Brooks & Dunn
Arista Nashville

PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE THIS WAY
Tammi Kidd
Irving Music
LeAnn Rimes
Asylum-Curb

SHE DON'T TELL ME TO
Bob DiPiero
Tom Shapiro
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Love Monkey Music
Piano Wire Music LLC
Sony/ATV Tree
Montgomery Gentry
Columbia Records

SHE LET HERSELF GO
Dean Dillon
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Unwound Music
George Strait
MCA Nashville

SKIN (SARABETH)
Doug Johnson
Mike Curb Music
Sweet Radical Music
Rascal Flatts
Lyric Street

SOMEBODY'S HERO
Ed Hill
Shaye Smith
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Sagrabeaux Songs
Shaye Smith Music
Jamie O'Neal
Capitol Records

SOMETHING MORE
Kristian Bush
Dirkpit Music
Sugarland
Mercury Nashville

SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF
Jeffrey Steele
Gottahaveable Music
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Montgomery Gentry
Columbia Records

SONGS ABOUT ME
Ed Hill
Shaye Smith
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Sagrabeaux Songs
Shaye Smith Music
Trace Adkins
Capitol Records

STAY WITH ME (BRASS BED)
Jedd Hughes
Terry McBride
Still Working For The Man Music, Inc.
Terry McBride Music
Wilmington Road Publishing
Josh Gracin
Lyric Street

THE TALKIN' SONG REPAIR BLUES
Dennis Linde
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Rising Gorge Music
Alan Jackson
Arista Nashville

TEQUILA MAKES HER CLOTHES FALL OFF
Gary Hannan
John Wiggins
Chobe Music
Fiddle Stock Music
Heavy Leather Music, Inc.
Notewrite Music
Joe Nichols
Universal South

TONIGHT I WANNA CRY
Keith Urban
Coburn Music, Inc.
Guitar Monkey Music
Keith Urban
Capitol Records

WHEN I GET WHERE I'M GOING
George Teren
House of Full Circle Music
Brad Paisley featuring Dolly Parton
Arista Nashville

WHO YOU'D BE TODAY
Bill Luther
Aimee Mayo
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
Evansville Music
Little Blue Typewriter Music
Kenny Chesney
BNA

YOU'LL BE THERE
Cory Mayo
Coburn Music, Inc.
George Strait
MCA Nashville
YOUR MAN
Jace Everett
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Josh Turner
MCA Nashville

Country Awards Event Photos

Country Awards Song List

Merle Haggard Icon Feature

BMI and Country Music

Toby Keith's hit "As Good As I Once Was," co-written by Keith and Scotty Emerick, was named Song of the Year. Previously named Songwriter of the Year in 2001 and 2004, Keith also shared his third Songwriter of the Year crown with Ed Hill and Vicky McGehee, while Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville snagged Publisher of the Year honors for the fifth consecutive year. A stirring tribute to American legend Merle Haggard honored the newest BMI Icon, celebrating Haggard's open-ended relevancy and influence that span genres and generations.

Merle Haggard	Toby Keith

"As Good As I Once Was" landed the 38th Robert J. Burton Award for Most Performed Country Song of the Year for co-writers Toby Keith and Scotty Emerick, along with publishers Big Yellow Dog Music, Florida Cracker Music, Sony/ATV Tree and Tokeco Tunes. With tongue firmly in cheek, Keith's wry delivery sent the tune racing up the Billboard charts, where it resided for six weeks.

Vicky McGehee	Ed Hill

Vicky McGehee, Ed Hill and Toby Keith formed the three-way tie for Country Songwriter of the Year, as each laid claim to three of the top 50 award-winning songs. In the past year, McGehee's hits "All Jacked Up," "Hicktown" and "Like We Never Loved At All" helped cement her status as one of Music City's "go-to" hit songwriters. Songwriting veteran Ed Hill's track record is liberally scattered with hits; this year, Hill's "Georgia Rain," "Somebody's Hero" and "Songs About Me" earned him his first BMI Songwriter of the Year title. Country superstar and two-time NSAI Songwriter of the Year Toby Keith added a third BMI Songwriter of the Year trophy to his growing collection with the hits "Big Blue Note," "HonkyTonk U" and "As Good As I Once Was."

With 17 songs among this year's top 50, Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville (through its companies Sony/ATV Acuff Rose, Sony/ATV Songs LLC and Sony/ATV Tree) picked up its fifth consecutive Publisher of the Year win. The publishing powerhouse accumulated the highest percentage of copyright ownership thanks to award songs like "Believe," "Class Reunion (That Used To Be Us)," "Do You Want Fries With That," "God's Will," "Lot of Leavin' Left To Do," "Me and Charlie Talking," "My Give A Damn's Busted," "Nobody But Me," "Play Something Country," "She Don't Tell Me To" and "She Let Herself Go."

The capstone of the evening took the form of the Icon tribute to Merle Haggard, featuring performances by Martina McBride, John Anderson and Hank Williams Jr. By any conventional measure -- radio hits, albums and concert tickets sold, songs recorded by other artists, and awards and honors received over a career that's now in its fifth decade -- Merle Haggard qualifies as a giant of country music.

Haggard's numbers are staggering: 48 BMI Country Awards, nine BMI Pop Awards, a BMI R&B Award, and 16 BMI "Million-Air" awards for hits like "Big City," "The Fightin' Side of Me," "I Had A Beautiful Time," "Mama Tried," "Okie From Muskogee," "Today I Started Loving You Again" and "Workin' Man Blues," all from a catalog of songs that adds up to over 25 million performances and illustrates the legend's genre-bending mastery. A total of six CMA awards, 17 ACM awards, two Grammys and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award conspicuously dot Haggard's resume, but as valuable as such measures are, they don't begin to define the accomplishments that have earned the "Poet of the Common Man" his latest accolade.

As a songwriter, he boldly explored not just the most popular themes of love and heartbreak, but the changing economic and social landscape, American history and politics, patriotism, war, and his own experiences as a convict, a husband, a father and a musician. Using the often uncomplicated yet elegant forms handed down by his predecessors, he created -- and continues to add to -- an enduring body of work that resonates far beyond the world of country music while remaining firmly rooted within it. In recognition of his enduring commitment to tradition, consistent creativity and unshakable artistic integrity, BMI is proud to present Merle Haggard with its Icon Award.

The 2006 BMI Country Awards also honored songwriters Brett Beavers, Ronnie Dunn, Scotty Emerick, Aimee Mayo, Terry McBride, Tom Shapiro, Shaye Smith, Jeffrey Steele, George Teren, Keith Urban and Phillip White, who each supplied two songs to the top 50 list.

"Goodbye Time," co-written by Roger Murrah and James Dean Hicks, earned its second BMI Country Award this year; Conway Twitty's 1989 version won the first time around and Blake Shelton's remake garnered this year's recognition. Joe South's "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden," 1971's Country Song of the Year, won its seventh award this year thanks to Martina McBride's recent version. Lynn Anderson's 1970 version collected the song's first six awards.

Publishers winning three or more awards were Big Yellow Dog, Careers-BMG Music Publishing, EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc., Music of Stage Three, Sagrabeaux Songs, Songs of Windswept Pacific, Tokeco Tunes and Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.]]> 2006-11-04T03:00:01-05:00