News Archive
Aimee Mayo’s life story sounds like a movie plot. She endured a volatile childhood growing up in Gadsden, Alabama, changing schools 11 times before fourth grade. Her father shot himself when she was 8 years old; he survived, and after Mayo’s parents divorced, her mother married an abusive man. She…
Indie Spotlight: Gracie Schram
At 16, Gracie Schram is a wise-beyond-her-years singer-songwriter who fully embraces the awkwardness of youth while making music with a message. Not surprisingly, her brand of uplifting indie-pop is connecting with a wide audience. Showcasing Schram’s vocal range as well as her endearing personality over country-flavored acoustics, her newly released…
Indie Spotlight: Alfa
Born in the Philippines to a family of musicians, Alfa Garcia discovered the classical piano and violin at an early age. But as a teen growing up in New Jersey, it was folk/pop that spoke to her — so much so that she taught herself guitar (and later, the piano,…
Indie Spotlight: Rachel Taylor
Rachel Taylor has a myriad of entries on her musical résumé: Heartbreak for Everyone, her EP produced by Peter Hayes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, tour dates with the likes of Vance Joy and Sixpence None the Richer and work with GRAMMY award-winning producer of the Civil Wars, Charlie Peacock.…
GRAMMY Nods Showcase Depth of BMI Roster
The 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards are less than two weeks away and the dozens of BMI affiliates nominated are well positioned for a huge evening. Rapidly ascendant newcomers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis snagged an impressive seven nods, including Album of the Year for The Heist, Song of the Year and…
GRAMMY Winners & Rock Hall of Famers Celebrate “Muscle Shoals” at BMI Snowball
BMI and the Sundance Film Festival presented the 11th annual Sundance Snowball music showcase in Park City, Utah on Wednesday, January 23, 2013. This year’s Snowball was held at the Sundance House presented by HP and celebrated the music documentary “Muscle Shoals,” which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.…
Gillian Welch, Jason Isbell Lead BMI Sweep of 2012 Americana Music Awards
BMI roots songwriters swept the 2012 Americana Music Association Honors and Awards ceremony, held Wednesday, September 12 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Gillian Welch, Jason Isbell, Alabama Shakes, the Civil Wars and Dave Rawlings all earned top honors, while BMI pioneers Booker T. Jones and Richard Thompson received recognition…
BMI Country Music Leaders Poised to Sweep 2012 CMA Awards
BMI’s country music songwriters and producers clinched the overwhelming majority of the 46th Annual CMA Awards nominations, announced September 5. In almost every category, four out of five of the nominees are BMI members, such as the Entertainer of the Year field, in which Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney…
10 Questions: Phil Madeira
Nashville multi-instrumentalist Phil Madeira has been seen and heard alongside Emmylou Harris, playing guitar, accordion and singing as one of her Red Dirt Boys; prior, he spent a decade with Americana hero Buddy Miller. He hasn’t been such a slouch in the writing room, either, with songs cut by the…
BMI Songwriter/Artists Win 68% of Grammys; Adele Takes Home Six
The 54th annual Grammy Awards belonged to BMI songwriters, who earned almost 70% of the year’s 78 trophies – resounding proof of the strength of the BMI repertoire. Adele took home Grammy gold in every category in which she was nominated. She won six trophies in all, including Album, Record…