March 24, 2026
BMI’s Tracy McKnight and Former Sundance Film Music Director Peter Golub to Lead the Program<
Advisors to Include Industry Executives and Acclaimed BMI Composers Nathan Barr, Kurt Farquhar, Harry Gregson-Williams, James Newton Howard, Tom Howe, Camilo Lara, Thomas Newman, Joy Ngiaw, Carlos Rafael Rivera and More
SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN THROUGH APRIL 24
LOS ANGELES, CA (March 24, 2026) – BMI® is excited to announce the second annual BMI Composer Lab, continuing its mission to provide emerging composers with a one-of-a-kind experience in artistic growth and professional development. The lab will be led by acclaimed composer and former director of the Sundance Film Music Program Peter Golub, and BMI’s VP of Film, TV & Visual Media Tracy McKnight. The finalists selected will participate in a nine-day online workshop followed by a ten-day onsite intensive in Los Angeles. BMI-affiliated composers of all musical backgrounds are encouraged to apply now through April 24. For more information, including submission guidelines and requirements, please visit bmicomposerlab.slideroom.com.
“Watching our first year of the Composer Lab come to life and seeing how much the composers grew over the course of the program, affirmed exactly why this work matters,” said McKnight. “As we enter our second year with Peter and another exceptional group of advisors, I look forward to building on the amazing foundation that was set last year with an even deeper focus on mentorship, real world insight, and creative collaboration.”
This year’s roster of advisors once again includes some of the most world-renowned BMI composers, including Jina Hyojin An, Nathan Barr, Miriam Cutler, Kurt Farquhar, Harry Gregson-Williams, James Newton Howard, Tom Howe, Jesper Kyd, Camilo Lara, Thomas Newman, Joy Ngiaw, Winifred Phillips, Carlos Rafael Rivera, Ed Shearmur and Anthony Willis. In addition, many highly regarded industry executives signed on as advisors, including Paul Broucek (President of Music at Warner Bros. Pictures), Gabe Hilfer (Music Supervisor), John Houlihan (SVP, Music for Searchlight Pictures and 20th Century Studios) Bradley Rainey (WME’s head of music for visual media), Peter Rotter (Encompass Music Partners), and Alex Winter (Director/Actor).
Golub, an esteemed composer and educator known for his extensive work in film, theatre and concert music, and his decades-long experience leading the Sundance Film Music Program, will oversee the lab alongside McKnight, who brings over two decades of experience as a creative executive and award-winning music supervisor to the program. Together, Golub and McKnight will guide the finalists through a series of interactive workshops that will culminate with orchestral recording and mixing sessions with The Hollywood Cinematic Orchestra at Bandrika Studios.
“I’m excited to be co-leading the BMI Composer Lab for a second year,” said Golub. “Watching our first class of composers grow throughout the program was rewarding, and I look forward to guiding this next group of finalists and seeing what they bring to the lab.”
The BMI Composer Lab finalists will be announced on July 15, with online sessions starting August 13–21 and in-person sessions taking place from September 8–17 in Los Angeles. To apply and for more details, visit bmicomposerlab.slideroom.com.
ABOUT BMI:
Celebrating over 80 years of service to songwriters, composers, music publishers and businesses, Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®) is a global leader in music rights management, serving as an advocate for the value of music. BMI represents the public performance rights in over 22.4 million musical works created and owned by more than 1.4 million songwriters, composers, and music publishers. The Company negotiates music license agreements and distributes the fees it generates as royalties to its affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed in public. In 1939, BMI created a groundbreaking open-door policy becoming the only performing rights organization to welcome and represent the creators of blues, jazz, country, and American roots music. Today, the musical compositions in BMI’s repertoire, from chart toppers to perennial favorites, span all genres of music and are consistently among the most-performed hits of the year. For additional information and the latest BMI news, visit bmi.com, follow us on X and Instagram @BMI or stay connected through Broadcast Music, Inc.‘s Facebook page. Sign up for BMI’s The Weekly™ and receive our e-newsletter every week to stay up to date on all things music.
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