Esmé’s frenetic rock relies on heavy guitar chords corralled by pop hook sensibility. Dueling lead vocalists offer a different approach to well trodden contemporary rock paths and revel in angst-ridden harmonies. Based in Atlanta’s thriving music scene, Esmé gigs relentlessly up and down the east coast and throughout the South, earmarking towns and venues along the way, and earning hordes of staunchly dedicated young fans in the process. Sample Esmé here on “These Dreams Are Real.” myspace.com/esme

Atlanta singer/songwriter John Pringle’s mellow rock mulls over typical situations and his protagonists’ reactions. Different moods find Pringle occasionally channeling Bruce Springsteen or David Gray — Springsteen when he’s spinning yarns, Gray when he’s lazily pondering. The son of an actress and stockbroker, John worked on Wall Street and in London before finally giving in to his musical calling. Tune in to John Pringle here on “Vanished Fortunes of Foolish Men.” myspace.com/johnpringle

The Beggars’ Guild aim to pick up and run with the torch of quintessential Americana rock, and their debut EP, Breaking Me Down, finds the Georgia quartet on the right path. Not afraid to wield a pulsing steel guitar or thick harmonies, the band employs the aforementioned weapons and more to create toe-tapping hooks in the happy tradition of southern summer rock. Infectious without sacrificing soul, hear The Beggars’ Guild here on “Minnesota (Always Leaving).” myspace.com/thebeggarsguild

Tx/Rx’s fiery tunes employ twin electric guitars to enhance the tense atmospheres stoked by lead vocalist Kevin Arthur. Moods shift from frenzied to eerie and lollygagging, scooping the listener up for the occasional emotional rollercoaster. Co-writers and co-conspirators, the band positions the song at its core, all the while singing and strumming with passionate conviction. Meet Tx/Rx here on their original song “Chances.” myspace.com/txrxspace

BMI’s “See It Hear First” podcast has become an important tool for exposing new BMI songwriters and artists to key industry professionals and fans alike. Since its release in May 2005, millions of listeners from around the world have tuned in to discover new music from a broad range of genres and regions. Past 'cast artists including singer/songwriter Brendan James, rockers somedaynew, Latin hip-hop artist Cosculluela, Canadian crossover band Soul Kid #1 and country-pop combo the Zac Brown Band have all grabbed the industry's attention through the BMI podcast, with some landing major recording and publishing deals, and others on the verge of being signed.

In addition to hearing great music from an array of new talent, podcast listeners can also vote for their favorite artist to help them win a CD duplication package from Disc Makers, the leading CD manufacturer for the independent musician. Winners get 1,000 discs, a prize with a promotional value of more than $10,000.

Tune in to bmi.com/podcast to hear all 18 editions of the BMI podcast, the first in the music industry to be listed in Apple's podcast directory. The "See It Hear First" series is also available from iTunes at bmi.com/itunes, from Yahoo! at podcasts.yahoo.com, or though Pod2Mob.com.

BEST SONG MUSICALLY & LYRICALLY
"The Other Side"
Written and performed by David Gray (PRS)

THE IVORS DANCE AWARD
"Lazy"
Co-written by David Byrne

PRS MOST PERFORMED WORK
"Just A Little"
Written by Michelle Escoffery (PRS), John Hammond Hagan (PRS) and George Hammond Hagan (PRS)

INTERNATIONAL HIT OF THE YEAR
"Complicated"
Written by Lauren Christy and David Alspach

BEST SELLING UK SINGLE
"Just A Little"
Written by Michelle Escoffery (PRS), John Hammond Hagan (PRS) and George Hammond Hagan (PRS)

PRS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO BRITISH MUSIC
Bryan Ferry (PRS)

THE SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL AWARD
Brian Wilson

In an era of rampant record label mergers and media homogenization, the current grass-roots success of English troubadour David Gray is remarkable indeed. Having already released three albums to middling cult notoriety, the Manchester-born, London-based singer/songwriter/guitarist's platinum album White Ladder, released in the U.S. on longtime Gray fan Dave Matthews' ATO label, has become a surprise smash, establishing its creator as a late-blooming star.

Where his previous albums had stuck largely to a folky acoustic sound, White Ladder, originally released in the U.K. on Gray's own tiny IHT label, matches the artist's hauntingly melancholy songcraft with subtly deployed electronic beats. The hybrid sound proved to be a surprisingly effective vehicle for the artist's bitter-sweetly insightful lyrics and distinctively reedy vocals. Gray has even infiltrated MTV and VH-1 via his video for "Babylon."

ATO recently released Lost Songs 95-98, a collection of stripped-down acoustic recordings of previously unreleased songs written between Gray's third album, Sell, Sell, Sell, and White Ladder. The disc was originally issued in Ireland, where Gray has long maintained a loyal following; it debuted at number one there, and has since gone platinum nine times over. It's also risen as high as the number two slot on the English album charts.

Ironically, prior to White Ladder, Gray had become so discouraged with his lack of career progress that he'd considered retiring from music. Instead, he retreated to his home studio with drummer/co-producer Clune and worked on retooling his sound. The experimental impulse extended to Gray altering his writing methods. As he recently told Rolling Stone, "We made a decision: No more rock influences. We were starting with grooves, and I'd write a song from that. It was like letting oxygen into some claustrophobic room."

While his arrangements have grown more complex and adventurous, Gray feels that his songwriting has become simpler and more direct, stressing emotional honesty over lyrical detail. "I leaned that the more you have to say, perhaps the simpler you need to be saying it," he told Rolling Stone. "As life teaches you lessons, it strips away the fussy detail, and just suggesting things or leaving a space to let someone read between the lines is a very powerful tool."

Gray recently completed a major North American tour - his fourth U.S. visit since White Ladder's stateside release in March 2000 - that saw the artist and his three-man band headlining such prestigious venues as Los Angeles' Universal Amphitheater and New York's Radio City Music Hall. Still, he maintains a healthy skepticism about the next-big-thing talk that's accompanied his success.

"I've had a bit of that before - the whole 'You're the next Bob Dylan' thing," he told USA Today. "Let's just wait and see what happens. I've made one record that's broken through, and I think I've only just begun musically. But I do feel like something's changed - like people want what I'm offering. And I'm ready to give it."