Last night, BMI threw our annual AmericanaFest Kickoff Party on the iconic rooftop of our Nashville office. Featuring performances from the retro-inspired rock band The Heavy Heavy and contemporary blues and soul musician Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, the event gave Americanafest attendees a great start to the week. The Heavy Heavy… Read more...
BMI celebrated its annual Troubadour Awards at the iconic BMI Nashville office Monday evening. The ceremony honored legendary singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams and her astounding career in the music industry. The private dinner featured performances from Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Jason Isbell, Amos Lee, Angel Olsen, and Madeline Edwards, who… Read more...
The coveted Americana Honors & Awards nominations are out with several BMI songwriters poised to win big. Brandi Carlile leads the pack with three nods this year in the major categories of Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year. The ceremony will be held… Read more...
Last night, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame honored BMI songwriters Kent Blazy (“If Tommorow Never Comes,” “Ain’t Goin’ Down”), Rhett Akins (“Dirt on My Boots,” “Honey Bee”), John Scott Sherrill (Nothin’ But the Wheel,” “The Church on Cumberland Road) and Toby Keith (Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” ‘Beer for My… Read more...
The nominations are out and the final winners of this year’s Americana Honors & Awards will be announced on September 22 in a celebration at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Congratulations to all! Here are the BMI nominees: Album of the Year: Cuttin’ Grass - Vol. 1 (Butcher… Read more...
Most of the writers who attend my songwriting workshops already know how to write perfectly crafted songs. My job is to help them write the kinds of songs that a music publisher, record label executive, record producer, or recording artist will feel compelled to choose over the competition. One of… Read more...
Sometimes, playing it safe is the most dangerous thing we can do. This is especially applicable when our goal is to write songs that rise above the competition; songs that become artists’ signature songs; and songs that impact audiences and propel artists to a next level. We need to find… Read more...
What do the songs in the list below have in common? “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (traditional) “Achy Breaky Heart” (recorded by Billy Ray Cyrus, written by Don Von Tress) Sting’s “If I Ever Lose My Faith” (written by Sting) Carrie Underwood’s “ Read more...
When I worked in the A & R Department at a major record label, and later, as production coordinator for albums by hit artists, in many cases, my ears were the first barrier that had to be crossed when a song was submitted for those acts. Almost all the songs… Read more...
The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville was the place to be last night for the Americana Music Honors & Awards Show. Again this year, BMI songwriters were at the top of the list of wins with Jason Isbell taking a notable three awards for Album of the Year for The Nashville… Read more...
Captured at 2015 BMI Country Awards
