Recent News
Charles Fox Plans Benefit for LaGuardia Performing Arts High School
Renowned BMI composer Charles Fox is presenting “The Song of Our Lives,” featuring Fox, Alan Menken, Steve Tyrell and other prominent songwriters and composers, for the benefit of New York’s Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. With songs performed by the songwriters who wrote them, the concert is scheduled for December 8 at the Little… more
Emerging Film Composers Benefit from BMI Scoring Program

“Composing for the Screen,” a film scoring mentorship program sponsored by BMI and directed by composer Rick Baitz, recently wrapped in New York. Nine emerging film composers participated in six high-level sessions where they explored a wide range of film sources: composing, recording, reviewing, and sharing work in a supportive environment. For their final project, each participant composed a cue to a well-known film, which was then… more
Copyright Alliance Expo Spotlights Economic Impact

The Copyright Alliance hosted its third annual EXPOnential on November 17 on Capitol Hill, showcasing the new products and economic benefits of America’s copyright industries. This year’s event, “Live from Main Street: Copyright and the Local Economy,” provided a platform for artists, trade associations and companies to exhibit creative work and discuss the future of copyright and its impact on local economies. Attended by several prominent members of Congress, including House… more
GreatWorshipSongs.com Contest Call for Entries

Great Worship Songs and the Gospel Music Association (GMA) are searching for the best original and relatively unknown worship songs in the country. The GreatWorshipSongs.com Contest is open to unpublished songwriters, who may submit up to two songs each for review. The competition calls for praise and worship songs in the same anthemic vein as "My Savior, My God” and “God of Wonders,” created for use in church services. The… more
5th Annual Woody Guthrie Fellowship Program Opens
The opening of the 5th Annual Woody Guthrie Fellowship Program has been announced by Ralph N. Jackson, President of the BMI Foundation, Inc., and Nora Guthrie, Executive Director of the Woody Guthrie Archives (WGA) and Foundation. Applications are invited from scholars who are pursuing research topics or themes related to Woody Guthrie that explore his creative work and contribution to American music and culture. The program will… more
BMI Foundation Announces Opening of 7th Annual peermusic Latin Scholarship Competition

The BMI Foundation, Inc. has announced the opening of the 7th Annual peermusic Latin Scholarship, a competition for young songwriters and composers. Established by music publisher Ralph Peer II and funded by peermusic, a $5,000 scholarship will be awarded for the best song or instrumental composition in a Latin genre. According to Porfirio Piña, Director of the competition, the program is open to students… more
Taylor Swift Wins Entertainer of the Year and More at 2009 CMA Awards

The night after she took home her second consecutive BMI Song of the Year crystal, Taylor Swift swept the 43rd Annual CMA Awards, winning Entertainer, Female Vocalist, Album and Video of the Year honors. The youngest performer to ever earn the Entertainer of the Year crown, Swift is also the first female to capture the coveted prize since Shania Twain in 1999. The Album… more
Latin Grammy Nominees Dazzle at BMI Co-Hosted Latin Grammy Pre-Party

Luz Rios, Espinoza Paz, Jorge Villamizar, Jimena Angel, Darey Castro of Dareyes de la Sierra, Cucu Diamantes and Special Guest Alex Cuba Perform BMI, House of Blues, Recording Academy Los Angeles, NocheLatina.com and SunTrust Bank played host to an evening of rich Latin sounds on Wednesday, November 4 at House of Blues… more
Kris Kristofferson, Taylor Swift, Bobby Pinson, and More Honored at 2009 BMI Country Awards

The 57th Annual BMI Country Awards celebrated the genre’s top hit-makers tonight in Nashville. In addition to toasting the writers and publishers of the past year’s 50 most-performed country songs from the BMI repertoire, the ceremony honored Kris Kristofferson as a BMI Icon; named Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” Song of the Year, Bobby Pinson Songwriter of the Year, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing Publisher of… more
BMI Launches Indie Music Page

BMI represents scores of the world’s top-flight independent singers and songwriters. Now, BMI is proud to extend that representation to an online home for all things indie. From photos capturing industry showcases and sold-out gigs, band profiles and links to the indie community’s blogosphere, to event listings, featured albums, and a monthly spotlight highlighting a business innovator, BMI's Indie Music page will constantly monitor the rapidly changing and always… more
Indie Spotlight: Sam Stewart

Taking a sabbatical from his London-based band Blondelle, Samuel Stewart moved to Los Angeles to re-imagine himself as an artist and quickly began writing and recording his own songs. On stage, this studio recluse explodes into a state of unabashed child-like enthusiasm, yet his lyrics explore mature subject matter that betray the years on his passport. Stewart’s music is marked by lush arrangements, deeply personal lyrics, and… more
Indie Spotlight: Rumspringa

Rumspringa (n): an Amish rite of passage; the practice of releasing teenagers to explore the outside world, its sins and pleasures. A half-century ago, baby boomer teenagers wiggled from their parents’ grips to gyrate naughtily to the sonic rebellion that was captivating America—a thrilling, liberating sound that would eventually be tagged Rock n’ Roll. It is with this spirit that Los Angeles-based Joey Stevens and Itaru de… more
Indie Spotlight: Mike Del Rio

Michael Francis Del Rio is a 22-year-old singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from New York City. His self-produced independent 2007 release, “Blooming Under Pressure,” an eclectic take on pop-rock, generated critical acclaim from outlets including Billboard magazine, who hailed Del Rio as one of the Top Unsigned talents in the industry as part of the Billboard Underground Series. With numerous sold-out shows under his belt and a full band… more
Indie Spotlight: Intricate Machines

With their experimental approach to indie-pop music, Intricate Machines have excited the ears of music industry pros and audiences alike. Bringing together the worlds of indie-rock, electronic music, and hip-hop, the band has created a sound all their own and carved out a place in the L.A. music scene. Intricate Machines are currently in the studio finishing their first full length album, slated to come out in… more
Indie Spotlight: Imagine Dragons

Since the band’s earliest configuration in late 2008, Las Vegas’s Imagine Dragons has managed to win back-to-back battles of the bands, open for multiplatinum recording artists in front of 10,000+ crowds, and earn the respect of dedicated fans across the country. Fusing synth-laden Arcade Fire-style rock with the pop sensibilities of Coldplay, the band offers a live show worthy of their hometown, prompting the… more
Indie Spotlight: DJ Skeet Skeet

A country kid from Iowa, DJ Skeet Skeet rolled into LA known simply as Trevor McFedries. However, he started doing DIY parties in Hollywood with other up-and-coming DJs like Royal Rumble, LA Riots and Young Americans (now Classixx). Soon, "Skeet" was spinnin' all over the the place: celebrity hot spots like Hyde, hipster hang-outs like Studio B, and big baller clubs in the Vegas, Atlantic City scene.… more
Indie Spotlight: Daniel Tashian

There was never any doubt that alt-pop singer/songwriter Daniel Tashian would be a musician. The son of Holly and Barry Tashian, frontman of Barry and The Remains, Tashian fronts Nashville favorites The Silver Seas and is immersed in the town’s bustling indie pop/rock scene, frequently hosting editions of BMI’s weekly 8 off 8th showcase at the Mercy Lounge. He’s also a killer songwriter, who… more
Indie Spotlight: Awesome New Republic

A two-piece band from Miami, Florida, comprising Michael John Hancock and Brian Robertson, Awesome New Republic (ANR) has been making music together for the past five years. After generating critical acclaim with their first self-released album, ANR So Far, in 2005, ANR claimed spots at CMJ, Pop Montreal, and supporting Animal Collective, Girl Talk, Mike Gordon, and others. Their latest full length album, Hearts, was released via… more
Indie Spotlight: Crush Club

Crush Club is a pop/rap group established in Boston. Albums by Kanye West, Gym Class Heroes, John Legend, and Brother Ali are just a few influences that emerge in the band’s ever-expanding, original sound. Members Nicholas Shanholtz and Bryce Ross-Johnson are currently students at Berklee College of Music, and now, with Nick's imaginative beats and flows, Bryce's catchy vocal and writing… more
Indie Spotlight: Avi Buffalo

Avi Buffalo started recording songs as a high school sophomore, assembled a full band as a junior, and hasn’t looked back. Outsider Folk dug the band’s classic rock-infused indie jams and recruited Avi Buffalo for a show in Long Beach, introducing the group to the Los Angeles market they now claim. Fresh of their first tour in June 2009, Avi Buffalo is currently hard at work on… more
