Pictured are (l to r): Publicist Kim Fowler, Jason & the Scorchers’ Warner Hodges, AMA’s Danna Strong, Jason & the Scorchers’ Jason Ringenberg, Webb Wilder and BMI’s Kay Clary.

Roots music royalty Abigail Washburn and Béla Fleck read the list of award candidates, whose names were met with enthusiastic whoops and applause.

Longtime BMI songwriter James McMurtry garnered a slew of nominations, including Artist, Album and Song of the Year. McMurtry’s barbed wit and astute songwriting have resonated with listeners all over the world.

Pictured are (l to r): Hal Ketchum, Billy Block and Fats Kaplin.

Perennial BMI favorite Alison Krauss also received multiple nominations for her work with legend Robert Plant. In addition to a spot on the Duo/Group of the Year list, their collaborative effort Raising Sand earned Album of the Year, and their rendition of the Everly Brothers’ “Gone, Gone, Gone” secured a Song of the Year nod.

New/Emerging Artist of the Year nominees included a wealth of auspicious BMI singer/songwriters. Neo-soul, gospel conduit Mike Farris, gravely troubadour Ryan Bingham and the virtuosic bluegrass-dipped SteelDrivers all received well-deserved nods.

Pictured are (l to r): Third Coast Artist Agency’s Clint Wiley and Steve Hoiberg, Thirty Tigers’ Traci Thomas, Justin Townes Earle and Bonnie Whitmore.

Recognition also went to preeminent mandolin player and roots/bluegrass innovator Sam Bush in the Instrumentalist of the Year field; esteemed singer/songwriter Tiff Merritt, who received a Song of the Year nod for “Broken”; and triple-threat Kane Welch Kaplin, in the Duo/Group of the Year field.

The winners will be announced September 18 at the historic Ryman Auditorium during the 7th Annual Americana Music Association’s Honors and Awards Show. Hosted by Jim Lauderdale and featuring a band led by Buddy Miller, the Honors & Awards ceremony will also recognize iconic troubadour John Hiatt with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Songwriting and Jason and the Scorchers with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Performance. Additional honorees and performers will be announced in the coming months.

Abigail Washburn (left) and Béla Fleck (right) announce the nominees.

Slated for Wednesday, September 17 through Saturday, September 20, the 9th Annual Americana Festival and Conference will offer daily seminars, panels and networking opportunities at the Nashville Convention Center. Each evening brings more than 80 stacked Americana showcases to key venues throughout Nashville. Approximately 2,000 industry executives, artists and fans are expected this year.

For more information on tickets, becoming a member of the Americana Music Association and more, please visit www.americanamusic.org.

About the Americana Music Association
The Americana Music Association is a professional trade organization whose mission is to provide a forum for the advocacy of Americana music and to promote public awareness of the genre to support the creative and economic viability of professionals in this field. Dedicated to building and promoting the Americana genre and the individuals who participate in that industry, the Americana Music Association works closely with artists, labels, radio stations, retailers, print media, festivals, agents, publishers and more to help organize and build the infrastructure necessary for the Americana genre to achieve success both creatively and financially.

Pictured are (l to r): BMI's Jody Williams, Honorable Mayor Karl Dean, Abigail Washburn and Béla Fleck, with the AMA's Danna Strong and Jed Hilly.

2008 BMI Americana Music Association Honors & Awards Nominees

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Alison Krauss & Robert Plant
Raising Sand

James McMurtry
Just Us Kids

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
James McMurtry

INSTUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Sam Bush

NEW EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Mike Farris
Ryan Bingham
The Steeldrivers

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Broken”
Tift Merritt

“Cheney’s Toy”
James McMurtry

“Gone Gone Gone”
Alison Krauss & Robert Plant

DUO/GROUP OF THE YEAR
Alison Krauss & Robert Plant
Drive By Truckers
Kane Welch Kaplin

Check out live photos from the event

Full BMI Grammy Award Winners List

Unable to attend the ceremony due to a tardy issuance of her visa, Winehouse watched, accepted awards and performed twice via satellite in London. Her innate vintage cool and authentic emotion echoed through her performances of Record and Song of the Year, “Rehab,” along with “I’m No Good.” After claiming the most Grammys of any artist throughout the evening, including Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album, Winehouse’s ubiquitous artistic shadow was most certainly in attendance.

Charismatic rap star Kanye West further emphasized his staying power with wins in Rap Album and Solo Rap Performance of the Year. Honored both as a songwriter and recording artist, West also earned Rap Song of the Year bragging rights for “Good Life.” In addition to garnering accolades for his solo work, West claimed Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his collaboration with Common on “Southside.”

“What a beautiful day this is in Los Angeles!” Herbie Hancock’s visible surprise while accepting his Album of the Year trophy provided a sublimely extemporaneous moment during the telecast. The first jazz project in 43 years to win Album of the Year, Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters features collaborations with numerous contemporary stylists, including Norah Jones and Corinne Bailey Rae. The project also garnered Best Contemporary Jazz Album honors.

BMI’s preeminent rock family enjoyed a successful night as well. The unfaltering Foo Fighters took home Best Hard Rock Performance honors for driving single “The Pretender,” while their Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace earned Rock Album of the Year. Critical darlings and rock purists The White Stripes claimed Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for the title track to Icky Thump, which also garnered Best Alternative Album bragging rights for the enigmatic duo.

Beloved jazz saxophonist and composer Michael Brecker received posthumous awards for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (Individual or Group) and Best Jazz Instrumental Solo. Perennial favorites The Clark Sisters also secured honors for Best Gospel Performance and Best Gospel Song.

Additional winners included Carrie Underwood for Best Female and Keith Urban for Best Male Country Vocal Performances; Calle 13 for Best Latin Urban Album; Ray Price and Willie Nelson for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals; Juan Luis Guerra for Best Tropical Latin Album; Vince Gill’s These Days for Best Country Album; Rihanna’s “Umbrella” for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration; Maroon 5 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals; and Alison Krauss for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

He wrote his first hit song 50 years ago. It was a Ray Price hit called “City Lights,” and he wrote it when he was a disc jockey at a Georgia radio station. He had his first Top 10 record as a solo artist 47 years ago and he joined the Grand Ole Opry 46 years ago.

And he had his last big cut . . . well, what time is it? Anderson continues to be an in-demand songwriter, writing for Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley and a slew of other new millennium favorites. His co-written “Give It Away” was a rarity: a No. 1 hit that was co-written by a Country Music Hall of Famer (Anderson) and sung by another Hall of Famer (George Strait). And in 2005, his “Whiskey Lullaby” (written with Jon Randall and sung by Paisley and Alison Krauss) won the Country Music Association’s song of the year prize. BMI’s first country Icon is, as retired former Sony/ATV President Donna Hilley once noted, both an elder statesman and a contemporary talent.

“He’s young for his age,” Randall said. “I think he can go on indefinitely. I want to be Bill Anderson when I grow up.”

For the record, Anderson was born on Nov. 1, 1937. Writing top hits at his age is like Sandy Koufax pitching a no-hitter against a modern-day New York Yankees team. Anderson never figured it would work out this way, exactly, though he also never planned on retiring and fading away.

“I just knew that this is what I wanted to do for my life’s work,” he said. “But I do remember telling people I’d stop if it wasn’t working out.”

It worked out, in spades. He wrote “City Lights” when he was 19, entering the hit parade and launching a remarkable career in music. The songwriting success preceded his triumphs as an idiosyncratic solo artist: Though he didn’t have a classically superior voice, Anderson developed a signature vocal style that led folks to call him “Whispering Bill Anderson.” His breathy, intimate singing helped him to score smashes including “Mama Sang A Song,” “Still,” “I Get The Fever” and “Wild Week-End.”

“In the days when I came along, the style was the thing,” he said. “If you weren’t different, you didn’t stand much of a chance.”

Anderson’s career as a top-draw solo artist cooled in the late 1970s, though he remained a popular fixture on the Opry. He quit writing songs in the 1980s, figuring that his writing well was dry and that it was better to concentrate on other things (such as hosting game shows on ABC and The Nashville Network). But Steve Wariner’s version of Anderson’s “The Tips of My Fingers” became a radio hit in 1992, proving that a classic country song could resonate through the decades, and Wariner and Vince Gill kept pushing him to co-write.

“That’s when the writing thing started to bubble again, and that’s when I got happier than I ever had been in my life,” Anderson said.

And so Bill Anderson’s career entered unprecedented territory. Never before had someone been to the top of an industry as a songwriter in one decade, as a performer in another and then re-emerged as a top songwriter again decades later. His works have been sung at the Opry, at county fairs and at Carnegie Hall. And his longevity and versatility helped Anderson become a common denominator in the careers of a seemingly disparate group of artists: Ernest Tubb, James Brown, Loretta Lynn, Trini Lopez, Aretha Franklin, The Louvin Brothers, Elvis Costello, Merle Haggard, Dean Martin and Waylon Jennings have all recorded his songs.

A friend recently sent Anderson a 50th birthday card, which surprised him since he has long passed 50 and it wasn’t his birthday. But the date was August 27, 2007, and it was the 50th anniversary of the day he wrote “City Lights.” Ray Price recorded it the next year, and a small town disc jockey became a professional songwriter. The day Price recorded “City Lights,” Anderson received a congratulatory call from Roger Miller and then another congratulatory call from a publisher. Later that afternoon, he got a call from a second publisher who said, “If you’ll sign with us, I think I can talk Ray Price into cutting ‘City Lights’.”

“In four hours, I got a good lesson into the realities of the music business,” Anderson said.

In those days, Bill Anderson was still learning lessons. These days, he could teach them.

Sam Bush (right) fields questions from GAC Edge of Country host Kylie Harris (left).

Fresh-faced newcomers the Infamous Stringdusters took home three awards including Song and Emerging Artist of the Year; the ‘dusters shared bragging rights with J.D. Crowe & New South, whose project Lefty’s Old Guitar tied the Infamous String Dusters’ Fork in the Road for Album of the Year.

Host and Mandolin Player of the Year Sam Bush pauses for a photo. Pictured are (l to r): BMI’s Mark Mason and Jody Williams, Sam Bush, manager Tim McFadden and BMI’s Bradley Collins.

Tony Trischka’s Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular took home two awards for both Recorded Event and Instrumental Album of the Year. The project featured contributions from legend Earl Scruggs, along with BMI affiliates Kenny Ingram, Tom Adams, Bela Fleck, Noam Pikelny, Alison Brown, Scott Vestal, Steve Martin and Bill Emerson. Trischka, who co-produced the album, also scored a win in the Instrumental Players of the Year category for the banjo.

GAC’s Kylie Harris (left) and award-winning singer/songwriter Ronnie Bowman (right) finish their interview.

BMI bluegrass luminaries Doyle Lawson & Quick Silver celebrated their seventh Vocal Group win and sixth Gospel Performance of the Year honor. Fellow BMI affiliate Rob Ickes took home his ninth Dobro Player of the Year award, officially making Ickes the most-awarded musician among all IBMA Instrumental Performer categories.

BMI’s Mark Mason (left) and Jody Williams (right) flank bluegrass luminary Del McCoury (center).

Dale Ann Bradley secured a Female Vocalist of the Year award. A favorite amongst fellow artists and fans, Bradley’s voice prompted Alison Krauss to praise her as “one of the most gifted vocalists bluegrass and country music has ever heard.”

Ronnie Bowman penned “Never Wanted Nothing More” – a recent chart topper for Kenny Chesney. Pictured are (l to r): BMI’s Jody Williams, Ronnie Bowman, Ronnie’s wife and harmony vocalist Garnet Imes Bowman and BMI’s Bradley Collins.

Instrumental Players of the Year also included bassist Missy Raines, fiddler Michael Cleveland and guitarist Tony Rice; Cleveland, along with his band Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock, also earned Instrumental Group of the Year honors.

BMI’s Jody Williams (right) chats with the Tennessean’s Peter Cooper (left).

Sirius Satellite Radio’s beloved DJ Chris Jones snagged the Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year award.

Pictured are (l to r): BMI’s Jody Williams, with Sirius Satellite Radio DJ and songwriter Chris Jones.

The Bluegrass Hall of Fame inducted the late Carl Story this year. Affectionately dubbed the “Father of Bluegrass Gospel Music,” Story pioneered the genre alongside bluegrass royalty like Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley.

Pictured are (l to r): BMI’s Bradley Collins and Mark Mason, multi-instrumentalist Rob Ickes and BMI’s Jody Williams.

Guitar stylist Mike Auldridge and Homespun Tapes’ Happy Traum will both receive Distinguished Achievement Awards. IBMA's Distinguished Achievement Award, an honor which recognizes individuals in the bluegrass music industry who have fostered the music's image with developments that broaden the genre's recognition and accessibility.

Pictured are (l to r): BMI’s Mark Mason, IBMA Executive Director Dan Hays and BMI’s Bradley Collins.

2007 BMI IBMA Award Winners

BLUEGRASS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Carl Story

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Dale Ann Bradley

SONG OF THE YEAR
"Fork In The Road," The Infamous Stringdusters (artists), Chris Jones & John Pennell (songwriters)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Lefty's Old Guitar, J.D. Crowe & The New South (artists), Rounder Records, J.D. Crowe & The New South (producers);
and Fork In The Road, The Infamous Stringdusters (artists), Sugar Hill Records, Tim Stafford & The Infamous Stringdusters (producers)

RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR
Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular; Tony Trischka with Earl Scruggs, Kenny Ingram, Tom Adams, Bela Fleck, Noam Pikelny, Alison Brown, Scott Vestal, Steve Martin & Bill Emerson (artists); Rounder Records; Tony Trischka, Bela Fleck (producers)

INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular; Tony Trischka (artist); Rounder Records; Tony Trischka, Bela Fleck & Ronnie Freeland (producers)

GOSPEL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
"He Lives In Me," Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artists), Horizon, Doyle Lawson (producer)

EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
The Infamous Stringdusters

INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR
BANJO: Tony Trischka;
BASS: Missy Raines;
FIDDLE: Michael Cleveland;
DOBRO Rob Ickes;
GUITAR: Tony Rice;
MANDOLIN: Sam Bush

DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Mike Auldridge
Happy Traum

BLUEGRASS BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR
Chris Jones, Sirius Satellite Radio

Rhonda Vincent

Rhonda Vincent & the Rage secured an impressive 11 individual IBMA award nominations, including nods for Entertainer, Vocal Group, Female Vocalist, Song of the Year for "All American Bluegrass Girl" and Album of the Year for the project by the same name.  Band member Hunter Berry received a nomination for Fiddle Player of the Year; and his solo debut Wow Baby is nominated for both Instrumental Album of the Year and Recorded Event of the Year.  Mickey Harris was nominated for Bass Player of the Year, and both Vincent and Kenny Ingram are in the running for Recorded Event of the Year for their work on New Songs, Old Friends and BMI affiliate Tony Trischka's Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular, respectively. 

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

Six-time recipients of IBMA's Vocal Group of the Year, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver are nominated for this award again, along with Entertainer of the Year, Song of the Year for "Sadie's Got Her New Dress On" written by BMI songwriter Connie Leigh, Album of the Year for More Behind the Picture than the Wall, two nominations for Gospel Recorded Event (for songs "We Shall Inherit" and "He Lives in Me") and Mandolin Player of the Year (Lawson). Guitarist/vocalist Jamie Dailey and Lawson will vie separately for Recorded Event of the Year, for their contributions to New Songs, Old Friends and Hunter Berry's Wow Baby respectively--bringing the band's collective tally to nine nominations.

Alison Krauss & Union Station

Longtime BMI affiliates Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas and The Del McCoury Band each received seven nominations.

The Del McCoury Band

In addition to Entertainer, Instrumental Group and Gospel Recorded Event of the Year, individual members of The Del McCoury Band earned nods for Mandolin Performer (Ronnie McCoury) and Recorded Event of the Year. The McCoury Music label also garnered an Album of the Year nomination for legendary artist Larry Sparks' new project, The Last Suit You Wear, co-produced by Sparks.

Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas picked up nominations for Entertainer, Vocal Group, Female Vocalist and Instrumental Group of the Year.  The prolific Jerry Douglas is nominated for Dobro Player of the Year, and vocalist/guitarist Dan Tyminski was also included in the Recorded Event of the Year category for his contributions to Wow Baby.

Kentucky Thunder is nominated for Instrumental Group of the Year--an award they have taken home eight times since 1998, while their album Instrumentals is up for Instrumental Recording of the Year.  Band member Darrin Vincent earned two individual nods: he contributed to Recorded Event of the Year nominee Wow Baby and produced Album of the Year contender All American Bluegrass Girl.  Smilin' Jim Mills received a nod for Banjo Performer of the Year - an award he has walked away with six times since 1999.

Additional nominees include Ronnie Bowman for Male Vocalist of the Year; The Infamous Stringdusters for Song, Album and Emerging Artist of the Year; Tony Trischka for the year's top Recorded Event, Instrumental Album and Banjo Player; Russell Moore for Male Vocalist of the Year; J.D. Crowe & The New South for Album and Song of the Year; fiddler extraordinaire Michael Cleveland & his band Flamekeeper for Instrumental Group honors; Blue Highway and The Isaacs for Vocal Group of the Year; Jim VanCleve for Instrumental Album and Fiddle Player of the year; Mark Johnson & Emory Lester for Instrumental Album of the Year; newcomers Cadillac Sky for Emerging Artist honors; Cia Cherryholmes for top Banjo picker and Mickey Harris for Bass Performer of the Year.

The late Carl Story will enter the Bluegrass Hall of Fame this year. Affectionately dubbed the "Father of Bluegrass Gospel Music," Story pioneered the genre alongside bluegrass royalty like Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley.

Guitar stylist Mike Auldridge and Homespun Tapes' Happy Traum will both receive Distinguished Achievement Awards. IBMA's Distinguished Achievement Award, an honor which recognizes individuals in the bluegrass music industry who have fostered the music's image with developments that broaden the genre's recognition and accessibility.

Hosted by Sam Bush, the 2007 IBMA Awards will take place during World of Bluegrass week, slated for October 1-7 in Nashville. Tickets for the IBMA award ceremony are available through the Grand Ole Opry House box office (1-800-733-6779) and all Ticketmaster outlets. The show will also be broadcast live on XM Satellite Radio's "Bluegrass Junction" Channel 14. For more information, please visit www.ibma.org.

2007 BMI IBMA Nominees

Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductee

Carl Story

Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients

Mike Auldridge

Happy Traum

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Cherryholmes

Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

The Del McCoury Band

Rhonda Vincent & the Rage

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Blue Highway

The Isaacs

Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

Rhonda Vincent & The Rage

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Blue Highway

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas

The Del McCoury Band

Paul Brewster and Darrin Vincent of Kentucky Thunder

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Ronnie Bowman

Russell Moore

Larry Sparks

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Dale Ann Bradley

Sonya Isaacs

Alison Krauss

Claire Lynch

Rhonda Vincent

SONG OF THE YEAR

Song Title, Artist(s), Songwriter(s)

"All American Bluegrass Girl"

Rhonda Vincent (artist & songwriter)

"Fork In The Road"

The Infamous Stringdusters (artists),

Co-written by Chris Jones & John Pennell

"Lefty's Old Guitar"

J.D. Crowe & The New South (artists)

Co-written by Dave Maggard & Jack Spencer

"Sadie's Got Her New Dress On"

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artists)

Written by Connie Leigh

"The Last Suit You Wear"

Larry Sparks (artist)

Co-written by Larry Shell & Larry Williams

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

All American Bluegrass Girl

Rhonda Vincent (artist)

Produced by Darrin Vincent & Rhonda Vincent

Fork In The Road

The Infamous Stringdusters (artists)

Produced by Tim Stafford & The Infamous Stringdusters

Lefty's Old Guitar

J.D. Crowe & The New South (artists)

Produced by J.D. Crowe & The New South

More Behind The Picture Than The Wall

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artists)

Produced by Doyle Lawson

The Last Suit You Wear

Larry Sparks (artist)

Produced by Larry Sparks

RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR

Vassar Clements, Tony Rice & The Low Country All Star Band

Featuring Tony Rice & The Low Country All-Star Band (artists)

Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular

Tony Trischka with Earl Scruggs, Kenny Ingram, Tom Adams, Bela Fleck, Noam Pikelny, Alison Brown, Scott Vestal, Steve Martin & Bill Emerson (artists)

Produced by Tony Trischka & Bela Fleck

New Songs, Old Friends

Featuring Vince Gill, Doyle Lawson, Oak Ridge Boys, Rob Ickes, Del McCoury, Sonya Isaacs, Rhonda Vincent, Stuart Duncan, Larry Cordle, Keith Sewell, Ben Isaacs (artists)

Wow Baby

Hunter Berry with Tony Rice, Doyle Lawson, Dan Tyminski, Marty Stuart, Bobby Osborne, Sonya Isaacs, Rhonda Vincent, Buddy Spicher, Ronnie Stewart, Darrin Vincent, Bob Moore (artists);

Produced by Darrin Vincent

INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Acoustic Rising

Mark Johnson & Emory Lester (artists)

Produced by Mark Johnson & Emory Lester

Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular

Tony Trischka (artist)

Produced by Tony Trischka & Bela Fleck

No Apologies

Jim VanCleve (artist),

Rural Rhythm Records

Produced by Jim VanCleve

Wow Baby

Hunter Berry (artist),

Produced by Darrin Vincent

GOSPEL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

"He Lives In Me"

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artists)

Produced by Doyle Lawson

"The Promised Land"

The Del McCoury Band (artist)

Produced by Del McCoury & Ronnie McCoury

"We Shall Inherit"

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artists)

Produced by Doyle Lawson

EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Cadillac Sky

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

The Infamous Stringdusters

Williams & Clark Expedition

INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR

BANJO

Cia Cherryholmes

J.D. Crowe

Jim Mills

Tony Trischka

BASS

Mickey Harris

Missy Raines

Marshall Wilborn

FIDDLE

Hunter Berry

Michael Cleveland

Stuart Duncan

Ron Stewart

DOBRO

Mike Auldridge

Jerry Douglas

Rob Ickes

Randy Kohrs

GUITAR

Jim Hurst

Tony Rice

Larry Sparks

MANDOLIN

Sam Bush

Doyle Lawson

Ronnie McCoury

Entitled These Days, each disc within the box set features Gill employing a different method of attack: funky soul, moody jazz, bluegrass/Americana and, of course, rootsy honky-tonk. Critics have salivated over the compilation, and despite its recent release in October of 2006, the set has already been certified platinum and garnered Gill his 35th Grammy nomination. That’s resounding applause for the humble singer/guitarist, who is generally regarded not only as one of the most talented artists in Nashville, but one of the town’s nicest guys as well.

The characters, virtuosos and storyteller guests on These Days are big — really big — and cross genre and generation. Emmylou Harris, Diana Krall, Guy Clark, Alison Krauss, Phil Everly, Lee Ann Womack, John Anderson, The Del McCoury Band, LeAnn Rimes and Bonnie Raitt color the jaw-dropping list. Good friend and fellow Notorious Cherry Bomb Rodney Crowell, wife Amy Grant and daughter Jenny also make for sublime collaborators.

Vince Gill’s path to country stardom started in Norman, Okla. His father, a judge by trade, played the banjo and guitar; Vince followed suit, picking up not only the guitar, but the mandolin, fiddle, dobro and bass as well. He dove into bluegrass, playing in one band during his high school days and another after graduation in Louisville, Ky. Positions in the bands of torch-carrying innovators like Ricky Skaggs, Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris helped lay Gill’s solid foundation.

After three well-received albums for RCA in the ’80s, Vince switched labels to work with longtime friend Tony Brown. His Brown-produced, MCA debut, When I Call Your Name, made Gill a star, earning the crooner his first Grammy. Simple numbers may help tell part of the story: 16 albums, 17 Grammys and multiple BMI Million-Air and Country awards are scattered throughout his career, illustrating his longevity in a music world sometimes eager to move on.

Gill’s sheer strength as a songwriter, producer, vocalist and instrumentalist tells the rest of his story. Throughout commercial successes and decades, he somehow remains staunchly true to his roots, yet artistically exciting and experimental. It’s been four long years since Vince Gill’s last album, and These Days temporarily satisfies music lovers’ seemingly inexhaustible desire for more, firmly solidifying Gill’s place among the giants of any genre.

The showcase will be held at the Sundance House at the Kimball Art Center (638 Park Avenue). This is an official 2007 Sundance Film Festival event and is open to festival badge holders, press passes and invited guests only; tickets will not be sold. Performance times will be Viktor Krauss at 6 p.m., Michael Penn at 6:30 p.m., Keb' Mo' at 7 p.m. and Terence Blanchard at 7:30 p.m.

Having presented an array of composers and singer/songwriters at the Festival for more than 15 years, BMI is a longtime supporter of Sundance's film music program, including the Sundance Composers Lab held each summer at the Sundance Institute. Click here to see coverage from last year.

A Sundance Composers Lab advisor and a Thelonious Monk Institute instructor, jazz trumpet player Terence Blanchard is a true musical wonder. Having created dual careers in the jazz and film/TV worlds, he has seen the launch of his critically acclaimed CD Flow in 2006, along with his score to Inside Man and his stirring music for Spike Lee's documentary on Hurricane Katrina, When the Levees Broke. Currently he is working on the score for director Kasi Lemmons new film Talk to Me starring Don Cheadle and will be going to Prague in January to record strings and orchestral arrangements for the When the Levees Broke CD release. A New Orleans native, Blanchard will be headlining the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on April 28, 2007.

Three-time Grammy-winning blues singer/songwriter Keb' Mo's music is a living link to the seminal Delta blues - the music that traveled up the Mississippi River and across the expanse of America before evolving into a universally celebrated art form. Born Kevin Moore, he adopted his better known stage name when he was a young guitar player who became inspired by his American legacy. His acclaimed self-titled 1994 debut album introduced that now famous appellation to the world, and his latest album, 2006's Suitcase - his eighth album for Epic/Okeh records - brings his talent to new heights. His distinctive sound embraces multiple eras and genres, including pop, rock, folk and jazz, showing he is well-versed in each. The disc follows his 2004 double play of Peace: Back By Popular Demand, featuring covers of classic '60s and'70s-era peace and protest songs, and the celebrated Keep It Simple, for which he won his third Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album. In addition, he's done extensive songs and themes for TV and film.

One of the most acclaimed singer/songwriters to emerge during the late 1980s, Michael Penn was seemingly destined for a career in show business. Born in New York City's Greenwich Village, the older brother of siblings Sean (later recognized among the finest actors of his generation) and Chris (a noted character actor acclaimed for his work in features like Reservoir Dogs) chose music over acting. His debut March (1989) won him a 1990 MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist. He followed it up with Free-for-All (1992), Resigned (1997) and MP4: Days Since a Lost Time Accident (2000). Penn then moved into film scoring and worked on Hard Eight; Boogie Nights; Alan Cumming's first two directorial efforts The Anniversary Party and Suffering Man's Charity; Melvin Goes to Dinner; the documentary The Comedians of Comedy; and The Last Kiss.

In addition to creating an eclectic mix of original music ranging from rock to bluegrass, composer, songwriter and double bassist Viktor Krauss has worked with many Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning artists, including Bill Frisell, Elvis Costello, Graham Nash, Dolly Parton and Lyle Lovett (he co-wrote his hit "You Were Always There"). The Illinois native and brother of bluegrass artist Alison Krauss is also known from performing with Lovett for nearly a decade. As a solo artist, Krauss shines with his CD Far from Enough released under Nonesuch Records to much critical and AAA radio acclaim. He is also behind a Zappa-esque rock unit called Difficult Listening, as well as progressive bluegrass pioneer Peter Rowan's group Free Mexican Airforce.

The Sundance Film Festival is the premier showcase for U.S. and international independent film. Held each January in and around Park City, Utah, the Festival is a core program of the Sundance Institute, a nonprofit cultural organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Presenting 120 dramatic and documentary feature-length films in seven distinct categories and 80 short films each year, the Sundance Film Festival has introduced American audiences to some of the most innovative films of the past two decades, including American Splendor, Clerks, Hustle and Flow, Maria Full of Grace, Napoleon Dynamite, sex, lies and videotape, Smoke Signals and Super Size Me. Beyond the streets of Park City, the official website of the Sundance Film Festival shares the Festival experience with a global audience through the streaming of short films, filmmaker interviews, and current news and box office information.

Brooks & Dunn	Carrie Underwood	Keith Urban

Longtime BMI affiliates and hosts of the event Brooks & Dunn made believers out of the CMA this year by claiming three awards, the most of any nominee. The duo's hit "Believe," co-written by Ronnie Dunn, snagged Single and Song of the Year titles, while their fourteenth Duo of the Year trophy raised their career total to nineteen, officially making Brooks & Dunn the record-holders for the most wins of any artist in CMA history.

Rascal Flatts	Randy Scruggs	Dolly Parton

Carrie Underwood has officially arrived. The 2005 American Idol winner took home both the CMA Horizon Award, given to the year's most promising new artist, and the Female Vocalist of the Year title. Underwood became the first to claim both the Horizon and Female Vocalist wins since Alison Krauss in 1995.

Keith Urban picked up his third consecutive Male Vocalist of the Year trophy. Though unable to attend the ceremony, Urban relayed a heartfelt acceptance speech through good friend Ronnie Dunn, who read a letter from the winner aloud to a cheering audience.

Super group Rascal Flatts secured a fourth consecutive Vocal Group of the Year win, capping off a year packed with record-setting concert attendance and album sales. The trio performed their single "My Wish," which is currently climbing the charts.

Guitarist Randy Scruggs garnered his third CMA Musician of the Year win. The son of bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs, Randy's musical prowess has enhanced projects over the years by a range of figures, from Waylon Jennings and Emmy Lou Harris to George Strait. BMI Icon Dolly Parton also earned recognition in the Musical Event of the Year category for her contribution to the poignant hit "When I Get Where I'm Going."

Iconic songwriter Kris Kristofferson presided over Country Music Hall of Fame inductions of Harold Bradley and Sonny James. Bradley, a member of the legendary Nashville A-Team, and James, an esteemed country vocalist and host of the inaugural CMA Awards Banquet and Show in 1967, were both on hand and greeted with standing ovations.

2006 BMI CMA Award Winners

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Keith Urban

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Carrie Underwood

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Rascal Flatts

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn

HORIZON AWARD
Carrie Underwood

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
"Believe"
Brooks & Dunn
Produced by Tony Brown/Kix Brooks/Ronnie Dunn

SONG OF THE YEAR
"Believe"
Co-written by Ronnie Dunn
Sony/ATV Tree/Showbilly Music

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
"When I Get Where I'm Going" featuring Dolly Parton

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"Believe"
Brooks & Dunn

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Randy Scruggs - Guitar
]]> 2006-11-07T03:00:00-05:00