BMI Country Awards Honor Top Writers and Publishers at 53rd Annual Ceremony
BMI saluted the top country music songwriters, artists and publishers at its 2005 Country Awards, staged October 18 at the performing rights organization's Music Row offices. The black-tie ceremony was hosted by Del Bryant, BMI President and CEO, and Paul Corbin, Vice President of Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville, who presented Certificates of Achievement to the writers and publishers of the 50 most performed country songs in the BMI repertoire.
| BMI Country Awards Photo Slideshow |
| Charlie Daniels Icon Feature |
Tim McGraw's smash "Live Like You Were Dying," written by Tim Nichols, was named Song of the Year; three-time Grammy winner Harley Allen, Big & Rich's Big Kenny and Lonestar frontman Richie McDonald shared the Songwriter of the Year crown; and Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville was named Publisher of the Year. A highlight of the gala was a tribute to legendary artist Charlie Daniels, who was honored as a BMI Icon for his "enduring influence on generations of music makers."
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| Charlie Daniels | Tim Nichols |
"Live Like You Were Dying" earned the 37th Robert J. Burton Award as Most Performed Country Song of the Year for writer Tim Nichols and publishers Nichols Worth Music and Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. The title track from McGraw's triple-platinum CD, the inspirational hit spent a record-breaking 10 weeks at #1 and won every award for which it was nominated since its release in 2004, including multiple Grammy, CMA, ACM, Billboard, NSAI and CMT awards.
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| Harley Allen | Big Kenny | Richie McDonald |
BMI writers Harley Allen, Big Kenny and Richie McDonald tied to claim the Country Songwriter of the Year trophy with three tunes each on the most performed list. Songs earning them the prestigious title were Allen's "Awful, Beautiful Life," "If Nobody Believed In You" and "My Last Name"; Big Kenny's "Holy Water," "Here for the Party" and "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)"; and McDonald's "Let Them Be Little," "Mr. Mom" and "Let's Be Us Again." McDonald also penned BMI's 2002 Country Song of the Year, "I'm Already There."
With 15 songs on this year's list, Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville (through its companies Sony/ATV Acuff Rose and Sony/ATV Tree) picked up its fourth consecutive Publisher of the Year Crystal by once again accumulating the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs.
The evening culminated in the Icon tribute to Charlie Daniels, which featured a musical salute by country artists Travis Tritt and Montgomery Gentry. With a career that spans nearly four decades, Daniels has connected with millions of fans around the world with his mix of rock, country, bluegrass, blues and gospel.
Songs like "Uneasy Rider," "In America," "Long Haired Country Boy," "The South's Gonna Do It Again," "Wichita Jail," and the Southern rock classic "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," are a part of the American musical landscape. His legendary Charlie Daniels Band, twice named the ACM's Touring Band of the Year, logged more than a million miles on the road, traveling in a convoy of buses and gleaming black tractor-trailer rigs that stopped traffic from coast to coast.
Among Daniels' numerous accolades are multiple BMI Pop and Country Awards, a Grammy, three CMA's, a Dove Award, the ACM Pioneer Award, and several Gold and Platinum albums totaling more than 18 million in sales. His signature song, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," simultaneously topped the country and pop charts and has amassed more than three million broadcast performances since its release in 1979. In addition to his own successful career, Daniels contributed to recording sessions for a diverse array of artists including Bob Dylan, Al Kooper, Flatt & Scruggs, Ringo Starr and Marty Robbins.
The 2005 BMI Country Awards also honored songwriters Bob DiPiero, Ed Hill, Tommy Lee James, Toby Keith, Vicky McGehee, Shania Twain, Keith Urban and Song of the Year writer Tim Nichols, who had two songs each on the list of 50.
Multiple publisher awards went to Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc./Zomba Songs Inc. (9); Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (6); Universal Music Publishing (Songs of Universal, Inc. and Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.) (5); Coburn Music, Inc. (4); Big Love Music, EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc., Harley Allen Music and Mike Curb Music (3); and Big Yellow Dog Music, Cake Taker Music, Dimensional Songs of the Knoll, Guitar Monkey Music, Loon Echo, Inc., Love Monkey Music, Music Hill Music/Sagrabeaux Songs, Nichols Worth Music, Still Working For The Man Music, Inc., Tokeco Tunes and Tommy Lee James Songs (2 each).
Below is the complete list of 2005 BMI Country Music Award winners:
AWFUL, BEAUTIFUL LIFE
Harley Allen
Coburn Music, Inc.
Harley Allen Music
Darryl Worley /DreamWorks Nashville
BABY GIRL
Kristian Bush
Dirkpit Music
Sugarland/Mercury Nashville
BACK WHEN
Stephony Smith
Jeff Stevens
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Tim McGraw/Curb Records
BLESS THE BROKEN ROAD
Bobby Boyd
Jeff Hanna
Marcus Hummon
Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc.
Jeff Diggs Music
Rascal Flatts/Lyric Street
DAYS GO BY
Keith Urban
Guitar Monkey Music
Keith Urban/Capitol Records
DESPERATELY
Bruce Robison
Monte Warden
Moonkiss Music
Tiltawhirl Music
George Strait/MCA Nashville
GIRLS LIE TOO
Tim Nichols
Nichols Worth Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Terri Clark/Mercury Nashville
GONE
Bob DiPiero
Jeffrey Steele
Gottahaveable Music
Love Monkey Music
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Sony/ATV Tree
Montgomery Gentry/Columbia Records
GOOD LITTLE GIRLS
Brett Jones
Troy Seals
Ensign Music Corporation
Fuzzy Dice Music
Kiss My Cash Music
Mike Curb Music
Blue County/Asylum-Curb
HE GETS THAT FROM ME
Phillip White
Katank Music
Murrah Music Corporation
Texabama Music
Reba McEntire/MCA Nashville
HERE FOR THE PARTY
Big Kenny
Big Love Music
Gretchen Wilson/Sony Music Nashville
HEY GOOD LOOKIN' (2nd Award)
Hank Williams
Hiriam Music
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Jimmy Buffett with Clint Black, Kenny Chesney,
Alan Jackson, Toby Keith & George Strait
Mailboat/RCA Records
HOLY WATER
Big Kenny
Jeff Cohen
Vicky McGehee
As You Wish Music
Big Love Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Big & Rich/Warner Bros. Nashville
HOW AM I DOIN'
Jim Beavers
Skronk Bonk Tunes
Dierks Bentley/Capitol Nashville
HOW FAR
Ed Hill
Shaye Smith
Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc.
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Sagrabeaux Songs
Shaye Smith Music
Martina McBride/RCA
I CAN'T SLEEP
Clay Walker
Chely Wright
Espiritu De Leon Music
My Mulligan Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Clay Walker/RCA
I GOT A FEELIN'
Casey Beathard
Carson Chamberlain
Everything I Love Music
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.
Billy Currington/Mercury Nashville
I HATE EVERYTHING
Gary Harrison
Keith Stegall
Midnight Express Music
November One Songs
Ratpack Music
Zomba Songs Inc.
George Strait/MCA Nashville
I WISH
Ed Hill
Tommy Lee James
Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc.
Music Hill Music
Still Working For The Man Music, Inc.
Tommy Lee James Songs
Jo Dee Messina/Curb Records
IF NOBODY BELIEVED IN YOU
Harley Allen
Coburn Music, Inc.
Harley Allen Music
Joe Nichols/Universal South
IF YOU EVER STOP LOVING ME
Bob DiPiero
Tom Shapiro
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Love Monkey Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Montgomery Gentry/Columbia Records
IT ONLY HURTS WHEN I'M BREATHING
Shania Twain
Loon Echo, Inc.
Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.
Shania Twain/Mercury Nashville
IT'S GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME
Ronnie Bowman
Don Cook
Katy's Own Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Brooks & Dunn/Arista Nashville
LET THEM BE LITTLE
Billy Dean
Richie McDonald
Mike Curb Music
Songs of Billy Dean
Sony/ATV Tree
Billy Dean/Curb Records
LET'S BE US AGAIN
Tommy Lee James
Richie McDonald
Sony/ATV Tree
Still Working For The Man Music, Inc.
Tommy Lee James Songs
Lonestar/BNA
LETTERS FROM HOME
David Lee
Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc.
John Michael Montgomery/Warner Bros. Nashville
LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING
Tim Nichols
Nichols Worth Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Tim McGraw/Curb Records
MR. MOM
Richie McDonald
Sony/ATV Tree
Lonestar/BNA
MY LAST NAME
Harley Allen
Coburn Music, Inc.
Harley Allen Music
Dierks Bentley/Capitol Nashville
NOTHIN' 'BOUT LOVE MAKES SENSE
Kylie Sackley (APRA)
Steel Wheels Music
LeAnn Rimes/Curb Records
PAINT ME A BIRMINGHAM
Gary Duffey
Buck Moore
Brewbear Music Works
Dimensional Songs of the Knoll
Mama's House Music
Princetta Music
Tracy Lawrence/DreamWorks Nashville
PARTY FOR TWO
Shania Twain
Loon Echo, Inc.
Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.
Shania Twain featuring Billy Currington/Mercury Nashville
ROUGH & READY
Blair N. S. MacKichan (PRS)
Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc.
Trace Adkins/Capitol Nashville
SAVE A HORSE (RIDE A COWBOY)
Big Kenny
Big Love Music
Big & Rich/Warner Bros. Nashville
SHE THINKS SHE NEEDS ME
Sonny LeMaire
Shane Minor
API Country Music
Dimensional Songs of the Knoll
E Ticket Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Shane Minor Music
Andy Griggs/RCA
SIMPLE LIFE
Aimee Mayo
Troy Verges
Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc.
Silverkiss Music
Songs from the Engine Room
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Carolyn Dawn Johnson/Arista Nashville
SOME BEACH
Paul Overstreet
Scarlet Moon Music, Inc.
Blake Shelton/Warner Bros. Nashville
SONGS ABOUT RAIN
Pat McLaughlin
Cake Taker Music
Corn Country Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Gary Allan/MCA Nashville
STAYS IN MEXICO
Toby Keith
Tokeco Tunes
Toby Keith/DreamWorks Nashville
SUDS IN THE BUCKET
Billy Montana
Mike Curb Music
Songs of Moraine
Sara Evans/RCA
THAT'S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT SUNDAY
Mark Narmore
Cake Taker Music
March Family Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Craig Morgan/Broken Bow
THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT
Steven McEwan (PRS)
Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc.
Brooks & Dunn/Arista Nashville
THAT'S WHAT SHE GETS
Ronnie Dunn
Terry McBride
Showbilly Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Brooks & Dunn/Arista Nashville
TOUGHER THAN NAILS
Max T. Barnes
Kendell Marvel
Phil O'Donnell
Big Yellow Dog Music
Songs of Daniel Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Tanasi Island Music
Joe Diffie/Broken Bow
TRYING TO FIND ATLANTIS
Zack Turner
Chris Waters
Chris Waters Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Jamie O'Neal/Capitol Nashville
WHEN I THINK ABOUT CHEATIN'
Vicky McGehee
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Gretchen Wilson/Sony Music Nashville
WHISKEY GIRL
Scotty Emerick
Toby Keith
Big Yellow Dog Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Tokeco Tunes
Toby Keith/DreamWorks Nashville
WHISKEY LULLABY
Bill Anderson
Jon Randall
Mr. Bubba Music, Inc.
Reynsong Publishing Corporation
Sony/ATV Tree
Wha Ya Say Music
Brad Paisley featuring Alison Krauss/Arista Nashville
THE WOMAN WITH YOU
David Frasier
Asierfra Music
Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc.
Kenny Chesney/BNA
YOU'RE MY BETTER HALF
Keith Urban
Coburn Music, Inc.
Guitar Monkey Music
Keith Urban/Capitol Records
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