A previous BET Award winner, 19-year old Chris Brown took home the Best Male R&B Artist honors, gospel juggernaut Marvin Sapp won the award for Best Gospel Artist, and Lil’ Wayne won the coveted Viewers’ Choice Award for his song “Lollipop.” R&B legend Al Green received the Lifetime Achievement award.

Born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., Lil Wayne is a native of New Orleans. Born in 1982, he was in a program for gifted kids, even entering the drama club by middle school. At 11, he met Bryan “Baby” Williams, owner of the then-budding Cash Money Records. After leaving raps on Baby’s answering machine, Wayne was brought into CMR’s fold and quit school at 14.

In 1997, Wayne became part of the then-burgeoning Southern rap movement as the youngest member of the group Hot Boys. He soon appeared on a song by Hot Boys member Juvenile, whereupon he uttered the now ubiquitous phrase “Drop it like it’s hot.” (Not long after, Wayne, along with members of his crew, took to calling jewelry as “bling-bling,” a term now fully ingrained in the American lexicon.) Wayne’s 1999 solo album, the platinum Tha Block Is Hot, was highly regarded, and it shot to #3 on the Billboard 200.

His 2000 follow-up album, Lights Out, went gold, followed by another gold album, 500 Degreez, but it was the release of Tha Carter in 2004 when Lil Wayne began to hit the artistic stride. Experimenting with rhythm, cadence, and a general use of his voice as melodic instrument, Wayne also began perfecting a vivid and often humorous, sometimes stream-of-consciousness narrative style. Soon after, he appeared on “Soldier” by Destiny’s Child, which topped charts. Wayne became a hot commodity, with artists including Fat Joe, Jay-Z, Bobby Valentino, and Kanye West featuring him on their songs.

By 2006, Wayne’s career was moving at warp speed. There was Tha Carter II, also gold, and a blitzkrieg of mixtapes. Somewhere in between, Wayne found time to enroll in college, studying political science at University of Houston in 2005. That interest perhaps influenced his scathing of President Bush on his acclaimed song about Hurricane Katrina, “Georgia…Bush.”

He is said to have made over 800 recordings in 2007, and almost as fast as the songs appeared, so came the praise. Rolling Stone called his “Drought” series among the best albums of 2007; GQ named him one of their men of the year; an MTV poll crowned him emcee of the year; and Blender named him Best Rock Star Alive.

All of this has fueled intense anticipation for his next album, Tha Carter III, due in June. That project’s lead single, “Lollipop,” is his biggest hit to date — landing at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and MTV’s TRL — proof that he has fully cracked the mainstream. Moreover, the song’s success suggests that in spite of everything he’s done already, he’s really just getting started.

First time winners include Mark Ronson for British Male Solo Artist, who also performed “Valerie” with Amy Winehouse; Adele (PRS) for Critics Choice; and Mika for British Breakthrough Act. Previous Brit Award winner Kanye West walked away with his second International Male Solo Artist honor and the Foo Fighters won awards for International Album and International Group.

Established in 1977, the Brit Awards is a charity event that donates all proceeds to the British Record Industry Trust, better known as the Brit Trust, an organization that encourages the exploration and pursuit of the educational, cultural and therapeutic benefits of music.

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.

“I remember Quincy saying ‘the record business is not what it was a couple of years ago, and if we get six million [in sales], I'm gonna declare that a success',” keyboardist Brian Banks recently told the UK’s Daily Telegraph.

The album Quincy Jones reportedly handicapped was Thriller, Michael Jackson’s future-funk masterpiece that today boasts the distinction of being the best-selling album of all time. To date, Thriller has sold so many units that its worldwide tally is hard to track, with estimates ranging from 67 million to 104 million copies sold. In commemoration of this historic achievement, Sony Music has released Thriller 25, a special anniversary edition featuring a remastered version of Jackson’s classic CD, plus a music video DVD and bonus remixes showcasing contemporary artists like Kanye West, will.i.am, Fergie and Akon.

Just as Off the Wall and Thriller reinvented Jackson, so has the singer’s anniversary disc signaled a rebirth. Within two weeks of its February 2008 release, Thriller 25 had shipped well over 1.3 million units internationally. According to Sony Music, the album was charting Top 10 in virtually every market in the world, with the majority of countries reporting top 3 rankings.

Though Thriller’s groundbreaking achievements have been well examined, the facts bear review. Spending 37 weeks at #1, Thriller ranks among only three albums ever to remain in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart for an entire year. Not only did Thriller help Jackson win a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards in 1984, it was also the first album ever to yield seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles. Radio staples like “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Thriller” and “Human Nature” helped bring African-American music back into the mainstream for the first time since disco’s 1970s heyday. Thriller’s music videos set the creative bar so high that many pundits credit the album for transforming MTV into the global phenomenon it is today.

In all, Thriller altered the pop landscape so dramatically that it seemed to separate pop history into two epochs: B.T. (“Before Thriller”) and A.T. (“After Thriller”). The album’s cohesive blend of fizzy pop, hi-tech funk and tart mainstream rock nearly transformed Jackson into a musical genre unto himself. For the MTV generation, Thriller’s impact was nothing short of devastating. The album has been cited as a powerful influence on contemporary artists like Mariah Carey, Usher, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Missy Elliott, Kanye West and countless more.

“All the brilliance that had been building inside Michael Jackson for 24 years just erupted,” Quincy Jones told Playboy magazine, and many critics agree that Thriller is Jackson’s finest hour. Rolling Stone called the disc, “a zesty LP whose up-tempo workouts don't obscure its harrowing, dark messages.” The New York Times described Thriller in almost messianic terms, hailing the album as a hopeful sign that “the destructive barriers that spring up regularly between white and black music — and between whites and blacks — in this culture may be breached once again.”

In hindsight, almost everything about Thriller seemed to point to the album’s success, from its exciting title to the name of the Sony Music subsidiary label the disc was recorded for. With its world-beating sales, innovative songs and groundbreaking videos, Thriller remains a truly epic recording.

Leona Lewis, 2006 X Factor winner, scored nods for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough, which she’ll be vying for with Mika, who is up for British Single and British Male Solo Artist among others. Producer/DJ/artist, Mark Ronson received three nominations, including British Album, and British Single for “Valerie” featuring Amy Winehouse.

The Brit Awards also acknowledged a few stateside BMI songwriters in the international categories, including Kanye West (International Male Solo Artist) and Rihanna (International Female Artist). U.S. singer/songwriters up for two nods include the Eagles, the Foo Fighters and Kings of Leon vying for awards in the International Group and International Album categories.

Additional BMI 2008 Brit Award nominees include KT Tunstall, Editors, Klaxon, Newton Faulkner, Sugababes, James Blunt, and Mutya Buena.

Established in 1977, the Brit Awards is a charity event that donates all proceeds to the British Record Industry Trust, better known as the Brit Trust, an organization that encourages the exploration and pursuit of the educational, cultural and therapeutic benefits of music.

BMI 2008 Brit Award nominees:

Leona Lewis
British Female Solo Artist
British Breakthrough
British Single
British Album

Mika
British Male solo Artist
British Breakthrough
British Single
British Album

KT Tunstall
British Female Solo Artist

Editors
British Group

Klaxons
British Breakthrough
British Live Act

Mark Ronson
British male solo artist
British single (featuring Amy Winehouse)
British Album

Newton Faulkner
British Male Solo Artist

Sugababes
British Single

James Blunt
British single

Mutya Buena
British single

Kanye West
International Male Solo Artist

Rihanna
International Female Solo Artist

Eagles
International Group
International Album

Foo Fighters
International Group
International Album

Kings of Leon
International Group
International Album

West, a previous six-time Grammy winner, garnered the most nods including Album of the Year, Best Rap Album and Best Rap Solo Performance. His songwriting expertise is being recognized twice in the Best Rap Song category for “Good Life” and “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”.

Amy Winehouse, up for six, goes head-to-head with Kanye in the Album of the Year category. Winehouse received nominations including Song of the Year for “Rehab” and the coveted Best New Artist, which she’ll compete with BMI newcomer Taylor Swift.

BMI singer/songwriters dominated the Album of the Year category obtaining all five nominations with the Foo Fighters Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace; Vince Gill’s These Days; Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters; Kanye West’s Graduation; and Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black.

In addition, T-Pain received his first-ever Grammy recognition garnering five nods in categories including Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals and Best Rap Song. Ne-Yo also scored five nominations, including Best Contemporary R&B Album mention for Because of You.

Daughtry, Tim McGraw, Rihanna and Feist scored four nominations each. Daughtry’s explosive self-titled album is up for Best Rock Album; McGraw’s Let It Go received a Best Country Album nod; Rihanna’s “Umbrella” earned a Record of the Year nomination; and Feist scored a Best New Artist nod.

Producer Mark Ronson received three nominations including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical and Record of the Year for his contributions to Winehouse’s Back to Black. Jack White of the White Stripes and Casting Crown's Mark Hall were also cited three times, as were Herbie Hancock, DJ Toomp and Common.

The Recording Academy will also honor Max Roach, The Band and Earl Scruggs with Lifetime Achievement Awards, as well as Jac Holzman and Willie Mitchell with Trustee Awards.

BMI attained a sizable percentage of the rock field achieving four-of-five nominations in the Best Rock Song and the Best Rock Album categories. The domination continued with BMI’s traditional strength in the Latin, Rap & R&B, Gospel, Jazz categories, and sweeps in the New Age and Traditional Blues categories.

T.I., Ne-Yo and Mr. ColliPark each earned Songwriter of the Year titles, “Check On It” secured Song of the Year honors for co-writers Slim Thug and Sean Garrett, and a special presentation officially recognized legendary MC Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons of Run DMC as the newest BMI Icon.

Song List: BMI Award Winners

The night’s other big winners included Pharrell Williams, who earned the Producer of the Year title; EMI Music Publishing, named Urban Publisher of the Year; and T-Pain’s “I’m N Luv (Wit A Stripper),” which nabbed the BMI Urban Ringtone Award. Executives from music trade magazine Billboard were also on hand to give out No. 1 Awards to the BMI songs that reached the top spot on its urban music charts.

T.I., Ne-Yo and Mr. ColliPark each composed four songs on BMI’s most-performed list, and all three of the hitmakers acquired their first BMI Songwriter of the Year crowns. T.I. co-wrote hits “My Love” and “What You Know,” along with Lil' C’s “Shoulder Lean” and Nelly’s “Grillz”; Ne-Yo co-penned Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable” and his own “Sexy Love,” “So Sick” and “When You’re Mad”; and Mr. ColliPark co-wrote the Ying Yang Twins’ “Badd,” Diddy’s “Come to Me,” Bubba Sparxxx’s “Ms. New Booty” and David Banner’s “Play.”

Slim Thug and Sean Garrett’s “Check On It” earned Song of the Year. Published by Publisher of the Year EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc., “Check On It” was recorded by Beyoncé and featured the vocal stylings of co-writer Slim Thug.

As one third of Run-DMC, Rev Run helped change the sound of rap by simultaneously being more street and rock & roll than his contemporaries. From the boom-box classic single “Sucker MCs” (1983) to their standard-setting discs Run-DMC, King of Rock, Raising Hell and Tougher Than Leather, Run-DMC defined a new level of cool for the world. Dressed in their trademark black hats and outfits to match, Run-DMC stayed at the top of the pop charts for most of the ’80s and knocked open the doors to commercial freedom for the rap generation. A multi-media star — he stars in his own television show, Run’s House — Rev Run continues to create music, having just released his CD Distortion on the Russell Simmons Music Group (RSMG).

Pharrell Williams earned his third BMI Producer of the Year title for logging the most producer credits on charting songs. The BMI Top Urban Producers list also included Rodney Jerkins, Polow Da Don, Jazze Pha, Kanye West, will.i.am, Lil Jon, Sean Garrett and T-Pain.

EMI Music Publishing was named BMI Urban Publisher of the Year by scoring the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs. The publishing giant’s hits included chart toppers “Irreplaceable,” “Déjà Vu,” “Money Maker,” “Snap Yo Fingers” and more.

“I’m N Luv (Wit A Stripper),” co-written and performed by BMI Top Urban Producer T-Pain and Mike Jones and published by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. and Zomba Songs, received the BMI Urban Ringtone Award for tallying the most downloads during the award period.

In addition to the BMI performance awards, Billboard recognized the BMI-affiliated writers whose songs reached No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Rap Tracks, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Hot 100 charts during the past year.