BMI Celebrates Christian Music’s Best with 2020 Christian Music Awards

“Who You Say I Am” Named Song of the Year; Essential Music Publishing Named Publisher of the Year; Ethan Hulse Wins Songwriter of the Year

Posted in News on July 27, 2020

BMI is proud to pay tribute to the best and brightest in Christian music with its annual Christian Awards celebration. The honorees were announced today on BMI.com and across the organization’s digital platforms, celebrating the encouraging and uplifting music of BMI’s Christian songwriters. To honor these achievements, BMI has created a special webpage where fans can watch special video messages and performances, listen to award-winning music, and learn more about their favorite songwriters.

“I look forward to the BMI Christian Awards every year, and 2020 is no exception,” says Leslie Roberts, Executive Director, Creative, BMI Nashville. “This year has been a difficult one for so many reasons. I am thrilled to be able to celebrate and honor these songs that are so full of hope and have brought comfort to so many during this tumultuous time in our world.”

The Song of the Year title went to “Who You Say I Am,” written by Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan and published by Capitol CMG Publishing and Hillsong MP Songs. The song was nominated for Top Christian Song at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards and won the GMA Dove Award for Worship Song of the Year in 2019. It peaked at number two and spent an impressive 109 weeks on the Billboard U.S. Christian Songs Chart.

For the second year in a row, the Songwriter of the Year award went to Ethan Hulse, who wrote “Confidence,” “Haven’t Seen It Yet,” “Known” and “Scars.”  In 2019, Hulse won his first BMI Award and was simultaneously named Songwriter of the Year.

Essential Music Publishing took home the Publisher of the Year award. The company had the highest percentage of copyright ownership among the year’s most-performed songs, including the hits “Confidence,” “Even Then,” “Freedom Hymn,” “Haven’t Seen It Yet,” “Known,” “Living Hope,” “Only Jesus,” “Resurrecting,” “Scars,” “Survivor,” “Till I Found You,” and “What a Friend.”

In addition to the major award winners, BMI is also paying homage to the Twenty-Five Most Performed Christian Songs of the Year (2019). This year’s group of inspirational winners featured 14 first time award winners, including Jeff Bumgardner (“Even Me”), Austin French (“Freedom Hymn”), Gareth Gilkeson (“Counting Every Blessing”), Lyn Rowell (“I Believe He’s Alive”), and Shane Stevens (“Beat Up Bible”), among others. Veteran Christian artist and 6-time Songwriter of the Year winner tobyMac took home his 29th award for “Everything.”

SONG OF THE YEAR

Who You Say I Am
Ben Fielding (APRA)
Reuben Morgan (APRA)
Capitol CMG Publishing
Hillsong MP Songs

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Ethan Hulse
Confidence
Haven’t Seen It Yet
Known
Scars

PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR

Be Essential Songs
Confidence
Even Then
Freedom Hymn
Haven’t Seen It Yet
Known
Living Hope
Only Jesus
Resurrecting
Scars
Survivor
Till I Found You
What a Friend

Top 25 Songs

BEAT UP BIBLE
Shane Stevens
Downtown Music Publishing LLC

BEST NEWS EVER
Solomon Jerome Olds
Moon and Musky Music
Soul Glow Activator Music

BUILD MY LIFE
Karl Martin (PRS)
Sentric Music Songs

CONFIDENCE
Ethan Hulse
Dustin Lolli
Be Essential Songs
EGH Music Publishing

COUNTING EVERY BLESSING
Gareth Gilkeson
Chris Llewellyn
Capitol CMG Publishing

EVEN ME
Jeff Bumgardner
Jason Cox
Kenna West
Christian Taylor Music
ClearBox Benefit
Curb Dayspring Music
Say Amen Music
Sunset Gallery Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

EVEN THEN
Micah Tyler
Be Essential Songs
Fair Trade Global Songs

EVERYTHING
tobyMac
Achtober Songs
River Oaks Music Company

FREEDOM HYMN
Austin French
Jacob Harrison
AustinFrenchMusic
Be Essential Songs
Fair Trade Global Songs
Foundational Songs

GOD ONLY KNOWS
Josh Kerr
Luke Smallbone
Curb Dayspring Music
Kilns Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET
Danny Gokey
Ethan Hulse
Be Essential Songs
Better Than I Found It Publishing
Capitol CMG Publishing
EGH Music Publishing

I BELIEVE HE’S ALIVE
Lyn Rowell
Quick To Listen Music

JOY.
Stephen Blake Kanicka
Luke Smallbone
Curb Dayspring Music
Kilns Music
Studio SBK Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

KNOWN
Ethan Hulse
Jordan Sapp
Tauren Wells
Be Essential Songs
Capitol CMG Publishing
Crucialworks Entertainment
EGH Music Publishing

LIVING HOPE
Phil Wickham
Be Essential Songs
Phil Wickham Music
Simply Global Songs
Sing My Songs

MAYBE IT’S OK
Darren Mulligan
Jonathan Smith
Curb Dayspring Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

ONLY JESUS
Mark Hall
Bernie Herms
BMG Platinum Songs
Be Essential Songs
My Refuge Music
Sparrow Song
Works by Pure Note Songs
Xeva Music

RESURRECTING
Mack Brock
Chris Brown
Steven Furtick
Wade Joye
Matthews Ntlele
Be Essential Songs
Music By Elevation Worship Publishing

SCARS
Matthew Hein
Ethan Hulse
Jon McConnell
Be Essential Songs
EGH Music Publishing
I AM THEY Publishing

SUN’S GONNA COME UP
Lee Black
Scott Inman
Christian Taylor Music
ClearBox Benefit
Sunset Gallery Music

SURVIVOR
Jonathan Smith
Zach Williams
Anthems of Hope
Be Essential Songs
Wisteria Drive Music

TILL I FOUND YOU
Phil Wickham
Be Essential Songs
Phil Wickham Music
Simply Global Songs
Sing My Songs

WHAT A FRIEND
Matthew Hein
Matt Maher
Adam Palmer
Be Essential Songs
I am a Pilgrim Songs
I AM THEY Publishing

WHO YOU SAY I AM
Ben Fielding (APRA)
Reuben Morgan (APRA)
Capitol CMG Publishing
Hillsong MP Songs

WOKE UP THIS MORNING
John Darin Rowsey
Centergy Music
R2M Music

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