Award-Winning Songwriter and Producer Johnny McDaid To Be Honoured With the BMI President’s Award At the 2026 BMI London Awards
The Ceremony Also Celebrates the Top British and European Songwriters, Composers and Music Publishers of the Previous Year
BMI today announced that Johnny McDaid will be presented with the BMI President’s Award at the 2026 BMI London Awards held on 28 September at The Dorchester. The acclaimed songwriter, producer and musician will be honoured for his distinctive artistry, lasting influence and celebrated body of work that continues to resonate with music fans around the world. The private event will be hosted by BMI CEO Mike O’Neill, EVP, Chief Revenue & Creative Officer Mike Steinberg, and VP, Worldwide Creative Barbara Cane.
The ceremony also pays tribute to the British and European songwriters and publishers of the previous year’s most-performed songs on US streaming, radio, film, television and visual media from BMI’s repertoire of over 25 million musical works. The BMI London Song of the Year, Million-Air Awards, and awards for Pop, Theatrical Film, Streaming Series and Network Television Music will also be presented throughout the evening.
“From his early days honing his craft on the streets of London to becoming one of the most sought-after collaborators in music, Johnny has built an extraordinary career defined by creativity, authenticity and a deep respect for the craft of songwriting,” said Steinberg. “His remarkable gift for melody and storytelling, and his ability to capture human emotion, have helped shape some of the most memorable and enduring songs of the past two decades. We’re thrilled to honour his outstanding contributions to music with the BMI President’s Award.” Steinberg added, “We’re also excited to pay tribute to all of our outstanding award-winning music creators and recognise their incredible talent.”
Known widely as a member of the multi-platinum alternative rock band Snow Patrol, Johnny McDaid is also one of the most successful songwriters, musicians and producers of the modern era, with songs recorded by world-renowned artists including Ed Sheeran, BTS, P!nk, Robbie Williams, Alicia Keys, Lewis Capaldi, Jung Kook, Weezer, Shawn Mendes, David Guetta and Kelly Clarkson, to name a few. Originally from Derry, Northern Ireland, McDaid moved to London in his teens, busking on the streets while refining a craft that would later define his global career.
His historic collaborations with Sheeran include several global hits, led by “Shape of You,” the first song in Spotify history to reach two billion streams and now at more than five billion. The track spent 12 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and 14 weeks at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, is certified 13x Platinum by the RIAA, has amassed 8.8 billion YouTube views and was named Apple Music’s most-streamed song of the decade. Other massive collaborations with Sheeran include “Photograph,” “Shivers” and “Bad Habits,” which have reached 3.5 billion, 2.1 billion and two billion Spotify streams, respectively.
Among his many awards and accolades, McDaid is a two-time GRAMMY nominee, two-time Ivor Novello winner, has 17 BMI Awards and received BMI Pop and London Song of the Year in 2018 for “Shape of You” and BMI London Song of the Year in 2022 for “Bad Habits.” He also earned 14 Diamond and more than 600 Platinum certifications with many songs that have helped define the streaming age.
McDaid is continuing to create songs that define the musical landscape, most-recently co-writing “Bottle Up” for The Backstreet Boys and “Animal” for global phenomenon KATSEYE, which debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard Global 200 charts and surpassed 10 million YouTube views within just two days of release and is currently hurtling past 315 million views on TikTok.
As a BMI President’s Award honouree, McDaid joins an elite group of previous recipients including benny blanco, Luis Fonsi, Noel Gallagher, Ellie Goulding, Imagine Dragons, Jay Kay of Jamiroquai, Ludacris, P!nk, Willie Nelson, Pitbull, T-Pain, Fraser T. Smith, Taylor Swift, Brian Wilson, and Dwight Yoakam, to name a few.
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