Celebrity judge DJ Toomp

The evening began with performances from showcase finalists Jarren Benton, Brandon Hines, Holly Weerd, and Trimm, all chosen by a group of top BMI songwriters, producers and industry executives from over 300 submissions. Trimm’s wow factor and lyrical delivery impressed the audience and the judges, who proclaimed him the winner of prizes including $1,500 cash; two tickets to the 2008 BMI Urban Awards; a Friends and Family deal courtesy of MySpace Records; two Gibson/Epiphone guitars; clothing from Konvict Clothing (Akon’s Co.), 8732 (Jeezy’s Co.), and Rowdy (Dallas Austin’s Co.) and much more.

Teyana Taylor

Headliners for the highly-anticipated night of music were Cash Money/Universal Records star Lil’ Wayne; hit-making wordsmith Sean Garrett, aka The Pen; and Star Trak/Interscope recording artist Teyana Taylor.

BMI President & CEO, Del Bryant and Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Catherine Brewton presented mega-producer Dallas Austin with the Legends of ATL Award, which recognizes a community leader for his or her contributions to the Atlanta music scene.

Sean Garrett

BMI Vice President Writer/Publisher Relations Catherine Brewton, Legends of Atlanta honoree Dallas Austin, and BMI President & CEO Del Bryant

Ciara and BMI President & CEO Del Bryant

Lil Jon

ELZ, showcase winner Trimm, BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Catherine Brewton, and HeadROC of Battery 5

Lil Wayne

S O S
Evan Bogart
Edward Cobb
Jonathan "JR" Rotem
Embassy Music Corporation
Here's Lookin' At You Kidd Music
Jonathan Rotem Music
Reach Global Songs
Southside Independent Music Publishing LLC
Rihanna
SRP/Def Jam/IDJMG

SAVIN' ME
Daniel Adair (SOCAN)
Chad Kroeger (SOCAN)
Mike Kroeger (SOCAN)
Ryan Peake (SOCAN)
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Nickelback
Roadrunner/IDJMG Records

SHAKE IT OFF
Mariah Carey
Rye Songs
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Mariah Carey
Island Records

SHE SAYS
Howie Day
HKD Music
Howie Day
Epic Records

SO SICK
Ne-Yo
Super Sayin' Publishing
Zomba Songs
Ne-Yo
Def Jam/IDJMG

SOUL SURVIVOR
Young Jeezy
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Young Jeezy Music
Young Jeezy featuring Akon
Corporate Thugs/Def Jam Records

STICKWITU
Franne Golde
Kasia Livingston
Robert Palmer
Franne Gee Music
Myia’s Koala Bear Music Publishing
Notting Hill Music, Inc.
Parchi Music
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Pussycat Dolls
A & M Records

SUGAR (GIMME SOME)
David Byrne
Trick Daddy
First and Gold Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Trick Daddy featuring Ludacris & Cee-Lo
Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic

SUGAR, WE'RE GOIN' DOWN
Andrew Hurley
Patrick Stump
Joe Trohman
Pete Wentz
Chicago X Softcore Songs
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Fall Out Boy
IDJMG/Fueled By Ramen/Island

TALK
Karl Bartos (GEMA)
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Coldplay
Capitol Music Group

UNFAITHFUL
Ne-Yo
Super Sayin' Publishing
Zomba Songs
Rihanna
SRP/Def Jam/IDJMG

UNWRITTEN
Natasha Bedingfield (PRS)
Danielle Brisebois
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Gator Baby
Natasha Bedingfield
Epic Records

WALK AWAY
Kara DioGuardi
K'Stuff Publishing
Kelly Clarkson
RCA/RMG

WHAT HURTS THE MOST
Jeffrey Steele
Gottahaveable Music
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Rascal Flatts
Lyric Street

WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE
Ryan Adams
Barland Music
Tim McGraw
Curb Records

WHERE'D YOU GO
Mike Shinoda
Kenji Kobayashi Music
Zomba Songs
Fort Minor featuring Holly Brook & Jonah Matranga
Machine Shop/WB

YOU AND ME (2nd Award)
Jude Cole
Jason Wade
Dimensional Songs of the Knoll
G-Chills Music
Jude Cole Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Lifehouse
Geffen Records

YOU 'RE BEAUTIFUL
James Blunt (PRS)
Amanda Ghost (PRS)
Sacha Skarbek
David Platz Music, Inc.
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.
James Blunt
Atlantic Records

YOUR BODY
Bigg D
Marcus "Pleasure" Cooper
Jim Jonsin
Corey "Slick' Em" Mathis
Diamond "Baby Blue" Smith
Joseph "Blue" Smith
Spectacular Smith
Black Boy Hatchet Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Pretty Ricky
Atlantic Records

Pictured after the panel are (front row): Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, Dallas Austin, Kara DioGuardi, Sean Garrett and L.A. Times’s Ann Powers; (back row): Butch Walker, BMI’s Catherine Brewton, Jeffrey Steele, John Legend and BMI’s Del Bryant

The panel was moderated by BMI Writer/Publisher Relations VP Catherine Brewton and Los Angeles Times Chief Music Critic Ann Powers. In addition to discussing their craft and answering questions about the business of songwriting, each panelist performed one of their hit songs for the enthusiastic crowd.

Jeffrey Steele, Butch Walker and Sean Garrett

BMI’s Catherine Brewton, L.A. Times’s Ann Powers and Dallas Austin

John Legend

Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy performs

Dallas Austin

Kara DioGuardi

Patrick Stump performs Fall Out Boy’s “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race”

Photos by Lester Cohen/WireImage

Scheduled to participate are top BMI songwriting talents including John Legend (JUST ADDED!!), Cee-Lo (Gnarls Barkley), Dallas Austin, Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), Sean Garrett, Kara DioGuardi, Butch Walker and Jeffrey Steele, who will join panel moderators Los Angeles Times music critic Ann Powers and Atlanta Writer/Publisher Relations VP Catherine Brewton. Attendees can expect an inside look at the songwriting process, featuring performances of hit songs by each panelist and a Q&A session on the business of songwriting and music.

In addition to Legend, scheduled participants include BMI hit songwriters Cee-Lo (Gnarls Barkley), Dallas Austin, Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), Sean Garrett, Kara DioGuardi, Butch Walker and Jeffrey Steele. The panel will be moderated by BMI Writer/Publisher Relations VP Catherine Brewton and Los Angeles Times chief music critic Ann Powers. Each panelist will perform one of their hit songs as well as answer questions about the business of songwriting and music.

Three-time Grammy winner John Legend, formerly known as an in-demand studio session man, stepped into the solo spotlight in 2004 as a singer, songwriter, pianist and performer in his own right with his debut album, Get Lifted. Driven in part by the hit singles “Ordinary People” and “Used To Love U,” Get Lifted was a critical and commercial triumph, earning John an astounding eight Grammy nominations—he won Best New Artist, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B album—and selling more than three million copies worldwide. With his new album, Once Again, he continues to craft intelligent, intuitive and sensual songs that showcase his pop/soul singer/songwriter abilities. Nominated in three Grammy categories this year (Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Save Room,” Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for “Heaven,” and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for “Family Affair” [with Joss Stone and Van Hunt]), Legend will be performing at the 49th Annual Grammy ceremony with John Mayer and Corinne Bailey Rae.

BMI and the Los Angeles Times will present “How I Wrote That Song,” a panel discussion with some of music’s most successful songwriters. The panel will be held Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. at the Key Club (9039 Sunset Blvd.) in Los Angeles in celebration of Grammy Week. Tickets are $10 and are on sale now through Ticketmaster at KeyClub.com, or at the Key Club box office.

Scheduled to participate are top BMI songwriting talents including Cee-Lo (Gnarls Barkley), Dallas Austin, Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), Sean Garrett, Kara DioGuardi, Butch Walker and Jeffrey Steele. The panel will be moderated by BMI Writer/Publisher Relations VP Catherine Brewton and Los Angeles Times music critic Ann Powers. Attendees can expect an inside look at the creative process, featuring performances of hit songs by each panelist and a Q&A session on the business of songwriting and music.

Panelists:

As lead singer and frontman for the breakout group Gnarls Barkley, Cee-Lo continues to bring his American hip-hop, funk, soul and r&b style to the world. He is a singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer, best known as a member of Goodie Mob before Gnarls Barkley, and has also recorded two critically acclaimed solo LPs. His successes as a songwriter and producer also include the 2005 hit “Don’t Cha” by The Pussycat Dolls, as well as tracks and guest appearances on upcoming releases from Kelis and Amerie.

At the age of 35, Grammy Award-winning hitmaker Dallas Austin is one of the most sought-after producers in the entertainment business. His creativity and innovative style have shaped the sound of today’s pop and r&b music. He has had the opportunity to work with such legendary stars as Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Usher, Pink, Shakira, Janet Jackson and Gwen Stefani. In 2002, he began a foray into film serving as the executive producer and musical director of the hit Drumline, and then as a producer and composer for ATL. He was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame last fall, an honor he received alongside R.E.M., Jermaine Dupri and Gregg Allman.

Patrick Stump is lead vocalist and guitarist for Grammy-nominated band Fall Out Boy, an American pop-rock band from Wilmetter, Ill. Stump and band members Pete Wentz, Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley released their 2005 major label debut and third full-length album, From Under the Cork Tree, which went double platinum. Their first single, “Sugar We’re Goin’ Down,” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and reached No. 1 on MTV’s TRL. The video also won the MTV2 Award at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. A 2006 “Best New Artist” Grammy nominee, Fall Out Boy’s next album, Infinity on High, is scheduled for release on Feb. 6. The lead single, “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race,” debuted at the 2006 American Music Awards.

Sean Garrett got his start after college as a mortgage broker. After the loss of his mother, he realized his heart was in music and he turned his passion of songwriting into his profession. Nicknamed “The Pen” by Jay-Z, the four-time Grammy Award nominee earned the moniker by having three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two consecutive weeks and helping to ink a majority of Destiny’s Child’s last album, Destiny Fulfilled. He’s responsible for smash singles like Chris Brown‘s “Run It,” Ciara’s “Goodies” and Usher’s “Yeah,” Garrett’s biggest composition to date. Upcoming projects slated for 2007 include works from Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani and Cassidy.

Kara DioGuardi is a Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur. She has had charting singles with a variety of artists, including Christina Aguilera ("Aint No Other Man"), Gwen Stefani ("Rich Girl"), Ashley Simpson ("Pieces Of Me"), Kelly Clarkson ("Walk Away"), Pussy Cat Dolls ("Beep"), Enrique Iglesias ("Escape") and Hilary Duff ("Come Clean"). Kara’s collaborators include Lil Jon, Danja, Dr. Dre, Jon Shanks, Glen Ballard, Scott Storch, Polow, Matt Serletic and will.i.am. She has new releases on albums by Katharine McPhee, Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff, Taylor Hicks, Nicole of Pussycat Dolls, Britney Spears, Daddy Yankee and Ashley Tisdale. Kara is also co-owner of Arthouse Entertainment, which was ranked the No. 7 music publishing company of 2006 by Billboard/Nielsen.

Hitmakers fill Nashville’s publishing houses, churning out the twangy sing-alongs that blanket country airwaves. Standing out in such a talented community can’t possibly be as easy as songwriter, artist and producer Jeffrey Steele makes it look. Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes, Montgomery Gentry, Gretchen Wilson, Pat Green, Trace Adkins, Tim McGraw and numerous others have all turned to Steele for a hit or two, a list that covers a virtual “who’s who” of contemporary country’s elite who have wisely come to trust the energetic songwriter with the easy, infectious grin. Steele’s own impassioned performances make him a constant favorite at songwriter festivals and his full-band gigs, where his rugged, boisterous vocals breathe new life both into songs made famous by the stars and other tunes that are patently his. The 2003 BMI Songwriter of the Year’s new album, Hell on Wheels (February 2007), showcases some of those patented Steele tunes, thrusting Jeffrey Steele the artist into a deserved spotlight.

Butch Walker is a recording artist, performer, songwriter and record producer. He formed the popular pop-rock band Marvelous 3, which spawned the hit “Freak of the Week.” Butch then began a solo career in 2000, releasing the albums Left of Self-Centered in 2002 and Letters in 2004, finishing 2005 playing over 200 live shows across both the U.S. and Japan. Several of his songs have been hits for other artists, including Bowling for Soup’s “Girl All the Bad Guys Want.” He has written and produced records for such artists as Pink, Simple Plan, Sevendust and the All-American Rejects. He also co-wrote the song “My Happy Ending” with Avril Lavigne. Walker was named Rolling Stone Producer of the Year in 2005, and having served as a judge on the reality TV series “Rock Star,” he was the producer for the new “Rockstar: Supernova” group.

About the Los Angeles Times:

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country, with a daily readership of nearly 2.2 million and about 3.3 million on Sunday. The Los Angeles Times and its media businesses and affiliates, including latimes.com, TheEnvelope.com, Times Community Newspapers, Recycler Classifieds, Hoy, and California Community News, are read by approximately 8.1 million-or 62% of all adults in the Southern California marketplace-every week.

The Los Angeles Times has been covering Southern California for over 125 years and is part of Tribune Company (NYSE: TRB), one of the country’s leading media companies with businesses in publishing, the Internet and broadcasting. Additional information about the Los Angeles Times is available at www.latimes.com/mediacenter.

Holiday party photo slide show

Former BMI President & CEO Frances Preston (left) looks on as Del and Dane Bryant (at podium) accept their mother's induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame

Other BMI songwriters inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame this year include Gregg Allman, Dallas Austin and members of R.E.M.

Born in Milwaukee, Felice Bryant lived for many years in Moutrie, Ga., the hometown of husband and writing partner Boudleaux Bryant. The potent combination of Felice and Boudleaux resulted in one of the most enduring songwriting teams in popular music history. The couple penned standards like "Bye Bye Love" and "Wake Up, Little Susie" for the Everly Brothers, catapulting the rock and roll duo to stardom. Buddy Holly's rendition of the Bryants' "Raining in My Heart" was captured during his final recording session in 1958. Prior to their pivotal foray into the burgeoning world of rock and roll, the Bryants wrote hits for a number of country music's legendary figures, including Little Jimmy Dickens, Eddy Arnold and Jim Reeves. A virtual who's who of 20th century music giants recorded songs by the Bryants-names like Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Elvis Presley, the Grateful Dead, the Beach Boys, Elvis Costello, Dolly Parton, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly and Dean Martin color the iconic list.

Though Felice rarely worked without her husband, her solo composition and one-time birthday gift to Boudleaux, "We Could," was recorded by Jim Reeves, Little Jimmy Dickens, George Jones & Tammy Wynette, Kitty Wells, George Morgan, the Louvin Brothers, Charley Pride, Al Martino and John Prine-a resounding affirmation of her gift.

Tennessee adopted the Bryants' tune, "Rocky Top," as its state song in 1982; the Georgia Music Hall of Fame inducted Boudleaux that same year, and he lived until 1987. Felice passed away in 1997 at her home in Gatlinburg, Tenn.]]> 2006-10-10T05:00:01-05:00