Nashville Songwriters Claim BMI Pop Song of the Year

BMI held its 59th annual Pop Music Awards in Los Angeles yesterday (5/17) and for the second straight year, Nashville songwriters wrote the BMI Pop Song of the Year. Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood along with publishers DWHaywood Music, RADIOBULLETSPUBLISHING and Warner-Tamerlane Publishing earned the top honor for Lady Antebellum’s world-conquering “Need You Now.” Previously the award went to Taylor Swift and Liz Rose for “Love Story.”

During the ceremony, David Foster was named a BMI Icon, while Lady Gaga, Jason Derülo, and JR Rotem were all honored as BMI Pop Songwriters of the Year. Sony/ATV Songs LLC was named Pop Publisher of the Year. BMI President/CEO Del Bryant co-hosted the event with BMI VP/GM Los Angeles Barbara Cane and BMI SVP Writer/Publisher Relations Phil Graham, which also saluted the writers and publishers of the year’s 50 most-performed pop songs.

Members of Nashville’s family gathered for a group photo at the 2011 BMI Pop Awards. (L-R): BMI’s Jody Williams, Warner/Chappell Music’s B.J. Hill, Sony/ATV Publishing’s Troy Tomlinson, BMI’s Clay Bradley, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, and Warner/Chappell Music’s Steve Markland.