Swift Wins BMI Song of the Year

(L-R): Sony/ATV Music Publishing’s Troy Tomlinson, BMI Pop Song of the Year winner Taylor Swift, BMI Pop Award winners Liz Rose and Jon Mabe, and BMI’s Jody Williams. Photo: Mark Sullivan

Taylor Swift won top honors at last night’s BMI Pop Awards in Los Angeles, taking home the prestigious Song of the Year award for her multi-genre international No.1 smash “Love Story.”

20-year old Swift is the youngest songwriter in history to win this honor, and the first country winner in more than a decade. The most recent country songwriters honored with this award were Stephanie Bentley for “Breathe” in 2000, Shania Twain for “You’re Still The One” in 1998, and Dolly Parton in 1993 for “I Will Always Love You.”

“Love Story,” which Swift wrote by herself, was honored for receiving more radio airplay in the past year than any other pop song. “Love Story” earned BMI’s Country Song of the Year honors in 2009, and Swift also won BMI’s Country Song of the Year in 2008, for “Teardrops On My Guitar.” That year she became the youngest songwriter in any genre to win the honor, and Swift is the first female songwriter in history to win back-to-back BMI Song of the Year awards, in any genre.

“Love Story,” from Swift’s 6x-Platinum Fearless album, topped Billboard’s Country, Pop and A/C charts in the US, and became a global sensation, reaching No. 1 in countries including the UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand. “Love Story” is also the most downloaded country single in US history.
Also this week, Swift was in Chicago to accept the Artist of the Year award from the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM). The award recognized Swift’s “extraordinary creative and commercial achievements” and her “brilliant and stellar contribution to the music industry in just a few years.”