Music News (11/20/24)

BMI Celebrates 2024 Country Award Winners, Honors Randy Owen With Icon Award

Pictured (L–R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, Riley Green, BMI Icon Award winner Randy Owen, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton and BMI’s Mike O’Neill. Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images for BMI

Hundreds of industry members gathered at BMI’s Nashville headquarters last night (Nov. 19) for the 72nd annual BMI Country Awards.

Transforming the building’s parking garage into an extravagant ballroom, the evening was full of special celebrations and music for what BMI Nashville’s VP of Creative, Clay Bradley, called the “greatest parking lot party in country music.”

Songwriters, publishers and other industry executives swarmed the elegant room and caught up over crafted cocktails. Once guests found their seats, they were greeted with a beautiful table display of flowers, candle light and a yummy chocolate cake topped with the BMI logo.

BMI’s President & CEO Mike O’Neill started the program by welcoming everyone and highlighting all the work that the country music community has done for others in need over the past year. He and BMI Nashville executives, including Bradley, presented awards throughout the night to country music’s top performers.

Among the winners were the BMI Country Publisher of the Year Warner Chappell, Country Song of the Year “Last Night” and Songwriter of the Year, which was a tie between Chase McGill and Zach Bryan.

The legendary Alabama frontman Randy Owen was also honored with the BMI Icon Award, an honor bestowed on songwriters who have had an indelible influence on music makers over generations.

Click here to read MusicRow‘s full recap of the evening.

62nd ASCAP Country Music Awards Honors Talented Songwriters & Publishers

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP VP of Nashville Membership Mike Sistad, ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams, Chris Stapleton and ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews. Photo: Ed Rode for ASCAP

Country music stars, songwriters and publishers ascended the steps of The Twelve Thirty Club on Monday night (Nov. 18) for the ASCAP Celebrates Nashville event, awarding the top performing ASCAP members of the past year.

The upscale club featured multiple spaces for party-goers to mingle, with intimate seating areas thoughtfully placed beneath the soft, dim lighting.

Country duo Everette kicked off the evening’s program with a performance. ASCAP’s VP of Nashville Membership Mike Sistad then appeared to welcome everyone to the event, and shed light on some members’ recent success. Sistad, ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews and Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams presented the night’s winners with their awards.

Among the winners were ASCAP Country Music Songwriter of the Year (for a record 11th time) Ashley Gorley, Country Music Songwriter/Artist of the Year Chris Stapleton, Country Song of the Year “Last Night” and Country Music Publisher of the Year Sony Music Publishing.

Click here to read MusicRow‘s full recap of the evening.

SESAC Celebrates Community & Creativity At 2024 Nashville Music Awards

Pictured (L-R): Sam Kling, Scott Jungmichel, Jaron Boyer, Shannan Hatch, ET Brown and Lydia Cahill pose as Boyer accepts the Songwriter of the Year award at the 2024 SESAC Nashville Music Awards. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for SESAC

It’s officially Awards Week in Music City. First on the agenda was the 2024 SESAC Nashville Music Awards, thrown at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Sunday night (Nov. 17).

More than 400 songwriters and publishers socialized in the Museum’s beautiful event hall, which overlooks the Nashville skyline. The performing rights organization spared no expense decorating the space, arranging moody purple lighting and a gorgeous stage area with SESAC prominently displayed. Guitar art by Nashville artist Rob Hendon decorated the hall, and elegant florals punctuated the room.

SESAC Chief Creative Officer Sam Kling welcomed the crowd, sharing the company’s gratitude for their affiliates, before turning it over to SVP, Head of Nashville Creative Shannan Hatch to host. She was joined by Senior Directors of Creative Services ET Brown and Lydia Cahill to present the awards.

Among the winners were SESAC Songwriter of the Year Jaron Boyer, Publisher of the Year Warner Chappell Warner Chappell Music and Song of the Year “Pretty Little Poison.” Megan Moroney received the SESAC Spotlight Award.

Click here to read MusicRow‘s full recap of the evening.