Hero Award recipient McCoy Tyner (2nd left) is congratulated by BMI's Charlie Feldman, Samantha Cox and J.W. Johnson

Presenters for the evening included BMI songwriter/artists Jaguar Wright and Kenny Gamble, Def Jam President Kevin Liles, Electric Factory Concerts President Larry Magid and Late Night With David Letterman's Paul Shaffer. Tiffany Bacon of Power 99 hosted the event that featured Doc Gibbs and the Emeril Live Band as well as the Philadelphia Grammy All-Star High School Band.

BMI's Brooke Primont and Charlie Feldman, Hero Award recipients Walter "Bunny" Sigler and Joe Nicolo, BMI's Samantha Cox, Hero Award recipient Larry Gold, and BMI's J.W. Johnson, Wardell Malloy and Erica Tompkins. photos: Recording Academy

Grammy-nominated arranger and cellist Larry Gold is also the owner of the highly successful recording facility The Studio. A student of the Curtis Institute of Music, Gold quickly went on to become the cellist for MFSB, the house band for the Sound of Philadelphia, with whom he recorded tracks for The O'Jays, Billy Paul, The Spinners, Teddy Pendergrass, The Tramps, Patti LaBelle and others. Later, Gold turned his talents to composing for animated films, and earned an Oscar nomination for the film short It's So Nice To Have A Wolf Around The House. In 1996, he created The Studio, a state-of-the-art facility in downtown Philadelphia, which became a home for recording artists including the Roots, Erykah Badu, Common, Jill Scott, Musiq and many others in the burgeoning soul and R&B scene.

Grammy-nominated producer, engineer, studio owner and record label executive Joe Nicolo has had a successful, long-running career in Philadelphia. He and twin brother Phil formed Studio 4 together and over the past 25 years, the studio has become a local mecca for artists including Boyz II Men and DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (both recorded early albums at Studio 4), Aerosmith, Dishwalla, the Dead Milkmen, the Hooters, the Rolling Stones, Urban Dance Squad and many others. Nicolo has produced and engineered a wide range of acts from Cypress Hill, Billy Joel, Foreigner and Cyndi Lauper to Taj Mahal, Schooly D and Grover Washington Jr. In the early '80s, Nicolo formed Ruffhouse Records with partner Chris Schwartz. The label would become home to cutting-edge hip-hop and rap acts such as Cypress Hill, Kris Kross, Tim Dog and the Fugees (as well as solo projects from Fugees artists Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean). Earlier this year, Nicolo joined forces with RKO Pictures and started a new label, RKO/Judgement, whose focus is movie soundtracks and new recording artists.

Singer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist Walter "Bunny" Sigler is a Philadelphia legend. His first album came out on Cameo Parkway, preceding Sigler's years with Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff as a songwriter and artist. He has written or co-written songs for Phil Hurtt, The O' Jays, Patti LaBelle, Jay-Z, the Dells and Mystique. His production credits include work with Curtis Mayfield, The O' Jays, Lou Rawls and Patti LaBelle. Recently, Sigler's work has been sampled in the Grammy-winning Nelly track "Dilemma" and his songwriting has appeared on R&B artist Jaguar Wright's recent debut album, Denials Delusions and Decisions.

Philadelphia native McCoy Tyner is often cited as the most influential jazz pianist of his time. Over the span of his 50-year career, Tyner has won two Grammy Awards for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance and has collaborated with many noted artists, including the Art Farmer-Benny Golson Jazztet, John Coltrane, Stephane Grappelli, Sonny Rollins, and Ike and Tina Turner. A powerful virtuoso, Tyner has stayed true to his own unique musical style from his early days and continues to evolve and redefine excellence. He was nominated at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (Individual or Group) for his recent album McCoy Tyner Plays John Coltrane - Live at the Village Vanguard.

Established in 1957, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., also known as the Recording Academy, is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural conditions for music and its makers. An organization of 18,000 musicians, producers, and other recording professionals, the Recording Academy is internationally known for the Grammy Awards and is responsible for numerous groundbreaking outreach, professional development, cultural enrichment, education and human services programs.

BMI's Kimberly Dawkins and BMI songwriter Dionne Warwick

As the cornerstone of the IAAAM celebration, the Diamond Awards Gala pays homage to major artists who have made substantial contributions to the promotion and preservation of black music and culture worldwide. Hosted by prominent broadcaster Cathy Hughes, Chairman and Founder of Radio One, this year's honorees included BMI songwriters and artists Dionne Warwick, the Heath Brothers and Kool & the Gang, as well as a tribute to three decades of Gamble & Huff's Sound of Philadelphia honoring Dexter Wansel and McFadden & Whitehead. Other honorees were the Rev. Hezekiah Walker, smooth jazz soul singer Will Downing and Sound of Philadelphia's Jean Carne. Honorary Chairpersons of the Gala, solely sponsored by BMI, included BMI songwriter/artists James Mtume and Jaguar Wright.

BMI's Kimberly Dawkins and music photographer Ronnie Wright

IAAAM event organizer Shani Gonzalez and BMI's Kimberly Dawkins

BMI songwriter Abby Dobson performs at the Emerging Artist Showcase

BMI's Catherine Brewton (2nd left) congratulates the Heath Brothers

BMI songwriter Glenn Lewis performs during a jam session at the Diamond Awards Gala

BMI songwriter Kyle Vereen and BMI's Kimberly Dawkins

It's hard to believe that Jaguar grew up in a household where she was not allowed to listen to the radio. But she found ways to listen to the latest r&b sounds and developed a strong appreciation for the music that was forbidden to her as a young child.

Jaguar started out as a rapper with her first group, Philly Blunts, She later found herself singing background for local artists in and around New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia, but it was her performance at Black Lily (a female open-mic showcase in Philadelphia) where she caught the eyes and ears of hip-hop band the Roots. She became part of the Roots family and made her singing debut on their hit single, "What You Want," from The Best Man soundtrack; you've seen Jaguar with the Roots in commercials for Coke and with Jay-Z on MTV Unplugged.

Denials, Delusions and Decisions, which she wrote and co-arranged, is a compilation that Jaguar describes as "real songs about real situations." She would like her music to uplift and touch people, and with her rich, soulful sounds, Jaguar is demonstrating that Philly soul is back and better than ever.