May 22, 2006

54th Annual BMI Country Awards Set for Nov. 4

BMI will salute the year's most popular country songs on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at the 54th Annual BMI Country Awards, country music's oldest awards celebration. Staged at the company's Music Row offices, the black-tie, invitation-only event spotlights the 50 most performed songs of the previous year.

Citations of Achievement will be presented to the writers and publishers of the top 50 country songs, with the evening's highest honors going to BMI's Songwriter of the Year, Publisher of the Year and Most Performed Country Song of the Year (the Robert J. Burton Award).

The evening will culminate in a tribute to a new BMI Icon, acknowledging songwriters who have had "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." Past BMI Icons from the country music community include Loretta Lynn, Bill Anderson and Dolly Parton, and most recently, Charlie Daniels.

Among the distinguished talents who have previously been crowned BMI Country Songwriter of the Year are last year's winners Harley Allen, Big & Rich's Big Kenny and Lonestar frontman Richie McDonald, and previous winners Harlan Howard, Don Gibson, Roger Miller, John D. Loudermilk, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, Dennis Morgan, Paul Overstreet, Vince Gill, Shania Twain, Tom Shapiro, Troy Verges, Dixie Chick Martie Maguire, Ronnie Dunn, Jeffrey Steele, Bobby Braddock and eight-time victor Billy Sherrill.

BMI represents more than 500,000 songwriters, composers, and publishers with more than 7.5 million works.