Tom T. Hall, Dallas Davidson, Luke Laird and Others Recognized at BMI Country Awards
Dallas Davidson and Luke Laird shared the Songwriter of the Year crown contributing five songs each to the year’s most-performed list. Davidson is the writer behind hits “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” and “I Don’t Want This Night to End” recorded by Luke Bryan; “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” by Justin Moore; and “Just a Kiss” and “We Owned the Night” recorded by Lady Antebellum. Laird penned smashes “A Little Bit Stronger” by Sara Evans; “Baggage Claim” by Miranda Lambert; “Drink in My Hand” by Eric Church; “You” by Chris Young; and “Take a Back Road,” recorded by Rodney Atkins.
“Take a Back Road,” which Laird wrote with fellow BMI songwriter Rhett Akins, was named Song of the Year. Published by EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. and Universal Music Careers, the smash earned more than one million performances in 2011 alone, making it one of the most-performed songs of the year in any genre of music.
Publisher of the Year award was given to Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville. The powerhouse published 24 songs on the year’s most-performed list, including “Take a Back Road”; Taylor Swift’s “Mean”; Kenny Chesney’s “Live a Little”; Eli Young Band’s “Crazy Girl”; Keith Urban’s “You Gonna Fly”; The Band Perry’s “All Your Life”; Blake Shelton’s “Honey Bee”; and more.
Also saluted were the writers and publishers of the past year’s 50 most-performed songs on radio and TV from BMI’s country repertoire. In addition, the incredible songwriting career of Tom T. Hall was celebrated by naming him a BMI Icon. Hall joins other BMI Icons who have had “a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers” including Billy Sherrill, John Fogerty, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Isaac Hayes, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, the Bee Gees, Bobby Braddock, Bill Anderson, Ray Davies, James Brown and more.
For more coverage as well as a special Spotify playlist featuring the iconic music of Tom T. Hall click here.
A complete list of winners is below:
SONGWRITERS OF THE YEAR
DALLAS DAVIDSON
“Country Girl (Shake It for Me)”
“I Don’t Want This Night to End”
“If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away”
“Just a Kiss”
“We Owned the Night”
LUKE LAIRD
“A Little Bit Stronger”
“Baggage Claim”
“Drink in My Hand”
“Take a Back Road”
“You”
PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR
SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING NASHVILLE
(EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc, Sony/ATV Acuff Rose, Sony/ATV Songs LLC and Sony/ATV Tree)
“All Your Life”
“Am I the Only One”
“Baggage Claim”
“Bait a Hook”
“Country Girl (Shake It for Me)”
“Crazy Girl”
“Drink in My Hand”
“Heart Like Mine”
“Honey Bee”
“I Don’t Want This Night to End”
“I Got You”
“Just Fishin’”
“Just a Kiss”
“Live a Little”
“Mean”
“Old Alabama”
“Reality”
“Smoke a Little Smoke”
“Sparks Fly”
“Take a Back Road”
“We Owned the Night”
“Without You”
“You Gonna Fly”
“You Lie”
SONG OF THE YEAR
“TAKE A BACK ROAD”
Rhett Akins
Luke Laird
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Universal Music Careers
ICON
Tom T. Hall
TOP 50 SONGS
A LITTLE BIT STRONGER
Luke Laird
Universal Music-Careers
Sara Evans
RCA/Sony Music
ALL YOUR LIFE
Brian Henningsen
Clara Henningsen
Cactus Moser Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Rainbow Skyline Music
The Band Perry
Republic Nashville
AM I THE ONLY ONE
Jim Beavers
Jon Randall
Reynsong Publishing Corporation
Sony/ATV Tree
Wha Ya Say Music
Dierks Bentley
Capitol Nashville
ARE YOU GONNA KISS ME OR NOT
Jim Collins
Music of Cal IV
Thompson Square
Stoney Creek
BAGGAGE CLAIM
Natalie Hemby
Luke Laird
Miranda Lambert
Pink Dog Publishing
Sony/ATV Tree
Tiltawhirl Music
Universal Music-Careers
Miranda Lambert
Columbia
BAIT A HOOK
Rhett Akins
Justin Moore
Big Music Machine
Double Barrel Ace Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Justin Moore
Valory
BAREFOOT BLUE JEAN NIGHT
Dylan Altman
Music of Cal IV
Jake Owen
RCA/Sony Music
BLEED RED
Andrew Dorff
Tommy Lee James
Pretty Woman Publishing LLC
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Super Phonic Music
Ronnie Dunn
Arista Records
COLDER WEATHER
Coy Bowles
Zac Brown
Wyatt Durrette
Levi Lowrey
Angelika Music
Poppsolotamus Music
Southern Ground Artists, Inc.
Weimerhound Publishing
Zac Brown Band
Atlantic/Southern Ground
COUNTRY GIRL (SHAKE IT FOR ME)
Luke Bryan
Dallas Davidson
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Peanut Mill Songs
Sony/ATV Tree
Luke Bryan
Capitol Nashville
COUNTRY MUST BE COUNTRY WIDE
Colt Ford
Brantley Gilbert
Average ZJS Music Publishing
Indiana Angel Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Brantley Gilbert
Valory
CRAZY GIRL
Lee Brice
Liz Rose
Mike Curb Music
ole Cake Taker Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Sweet Hysteria Music
Eli Young Band
Reprise/Warner Bros.
DIRT ROAD ANTHEM
Colt Ford
Brantley Gilbert
Average ZJS Music Publishing
Indiana Angel Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Jason Aldean
Broken Bow
DRINK IN MY HAND
Eric Church
Michael Heeney
Luke Laird
Sinnerlina
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Sony/ATV Tree
Universal Music-Careers
Eric Church
EMI Nashville
EASY
Katrina Elam
Kreative Songs
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Rascal Flatts feat. Natasha Bedingfeld
Big Machine
FAMILY MAN
Jon Henderson
Joel Shewmake
Big Hits Of Amylase
Bug Music
Katank Music
Michael Murrah Music
Murrah Music Corporation
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Craig Campbell
Bigger Picture
HEART LIKE MINE
Miranda Lambert
Ashley Monroe
Ayden Publishing
Pink Dog Publishing
Reynsong Publishing Corporation
Sony/ATV Tree
Miranda Lambert
Columbia
HERE FOR A GOOD TIME
Dean Dillon
Bubba Strait
Living For The Night Music
Sixteen Stars Music
George Strait
MCA Nashville
HOME
Brett Beavers
Chestnut Barn Music
Chrysalis One Songs
Dierks Bentley
Capitol Nashville
HONEY BEE
Rhett Akins
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Blake Shelton
Reprise/Warner Bros.
I DON'T WANT THIS NIGHT TO END
Rhett Akins
Luke Bryan
Dallas Davidson
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Peanut Mill Songs
Sony/ATV Tree
Luke Bryan
Capitol Nashville
I GOT YOU
Paul Jenkins
Shawna Thompson
Mack 2 Music
Magic Mustang Music, Inc.
Sony/ATV Tree
Thompson Square
Stoney Creek
IF HEAVEN WASN'T SO FAR AWAY
Dallas Davidson
Rob Hatch, Jr.
Big Borassa Music/ole
Down The Hatch Music
Universal Music-Careers
Justin Moore
Valory
I'M GONNA LOVE YOU THROUGH IT
Sonya Isaacs
Jimmy Yeary
Nashvistaville Songs
ole Black To Black Songs
Sonya Isaacs Music
Martina McBride
Republic Nashville
JUST A KISS
Dallas Davidson
Dave Haywood
Charles Kelley
DWHaywood Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
RADIOBULLETSPUBLISHING
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Lady Antebellum
Capitol Nashville
JUST FISHIN'
Casey Beathard
Monty Criswell
Ed Hill
Five Hills Music LLC
Six Ring Circus Songs
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Sony/ATV Tree
Trace Adkins
Show Dog/Universal
KEEP ME IN MIND
Zac Brown
Nic Cowan
Wyatt Durrette
Angelika Music
Southern Ground Artists, Inc.
Weimerhound Publishing
Zac Brown Band
Atlantic/Southern Ground
KNEE DEEP
Coy Bowles
Zac Brown
Wyatt Durrette
Jeffrey Steele
Angelika Music
Jeffrey Steele Music
Poppsolotamus Music
Weimerhound Publishing
Zac Brown featuring Jimmy Buffett
Atlantic/Southern Ground
LIVE A LITTLE
Shane Minor
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Shane Minor Music
Kenny Chesney
BNA
LONG HOT SUMMER
Keith Urban
Mary Rose Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Keith Urban
Capitol Nashville
LOVE DONE GONE
Shawn Camp
Marv Green
International Dog Music
Scamporee Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Billy Currington
Mercury
MADE IN AMERICA
Toby Keith
Bobby Pinson
Scott Reeves
Bobby's Lyrics Land and Livestock
Sweetwater Jams
Tokeco Tunes
Toby Keith
Show Dog/Universal
MEAN
Taylor Swift
Sony/ATV Tree
Taylor Swift Music
Taylor Swift
Big Machine
OLD ALABAMA
Randy Owen
Sony/ATV Tree
Brad Paisley featuring Alabama
Arista Records
ONE MORE DRINKIN' SONG
Richie Brown
Jerrod Niemann
New Songs of Sea Gayle
Ozworth Music
Jerrod Niemann
Arista Records
REALITY
Kenny Chesney
Basuare Music
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Kenny Chesney
BNA
SMOKE A LITTLE SMOKE
Eric Church
Jeff Hyde
Driver Williams
Mammaw's Cornbread Music
Pine Box Poetry Publishing
Sinnerlina
Sony/ATV Tree
Eric Church
Capitol Nashville
SPARKS FLY
Taylor Swift
Sony/ATV Tree
Taylor Swift Music
Taylor Swift
Big Machine
STORM WARNING
Busbee
Hunter Hayes
BMG Platinum Songs
Happy Little Man Publishing
Hello I Love You Publishing
Songs of Universal, Inc.
STORM WARNING
Busbee
Hunter Hayes
BMG Platinum Songs
Happy Little Man Publishing
Hello I Love You Publishing
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Hunter Hayes
Atlantic Records
TAKE A BACK ROAD
Rhett Akins
Luke Laird
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Universal Music-Careers
Rodney Atkins
Curb Records
TATTOOS ON THIS TOWN
Michael Dulaney
Wendell Mobley
Desert Treasure Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Jason Aldean
Broken Bow
THIS
Kara DioGuardi
Bug Music
Sunshine Terrace Music
Darius Rucker
Capitol Nashville
TOMORROW
Frank Myers
Chris Young
Frank Myers Music
Sixteen Stars Music
Chris Young
RCA/Sony Music
WE OWNED THE NIGHT
Dallas Davidson
Dave Haywood
Charles Kelley
DWHaywood Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
RADIOBULLETSPUBLISHING
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Lady Antebellum
Capitol Nashville
WHAT DO YOU WANT
Rachel Bradshaw
Richie Brown
Jerrod Niemann
Coburn Music, Inc.
New Songs of Sea Gayle
Ozworth Music
Jerrod Niemann
Arista Records
WITHOUT YOU
Dave Pahanish
Joe West
Songs For My Good Girl
Sony/ATV Tree
Totally Wrighteous Music
Keith Urban
Capitol Nashville
YOU
Luke Laird
Chris Young
Universal Music-Careers
Chris Young
RCA/Sony Music
YOU AND TEQUILA
Matraca Berg
Hannaberg Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter
BNA
YOU GONNA FLY
Preston Brust
Chris Lucas
Sony/ATV Tree
Keith Urban
Capitol Nashville
YOU LIE
Aaron Henningsen
Brian Henningsen
Clara Henningsen
Cactus Moser Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Rainbow Skyline Music
The Band Perry
Republic Nashville
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