BMI has paid tribute to the top UK and European songwriters, composers and music publishers of the most-performed songs of the previous year at the 2020 BMI London Awards.
Honourees for Song of the Year, Million-Air Awards, Top 30 Pop Songs and Film, TV & Visual Media were celebrated across BMI’s digital and social channels.
BMI has created a special page on its website where fans can watch video messages, listen to award-winning songs and take a look back at the best award show moments throughout the years.
“We’re thrilled to pay tribute to BMI’s top UK and European music creators and celebrate the numerous ways their artistry and creativity have enhanced the lives of many over the past year,” said Shirin Foroutan, VP, creative, Europe. “From BMI’s first-time award winners to our legendary songwriters and composers, we thank you for your enduring musical contributions, and we look forward to celebrating with you all in person at next year’s ceremony.”
Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith and Normani received the Song of the Year award for the most performed song in the United States of the previous year by a UK or European writer.
Smith was also recognised for How Do You Sleep?, bringing the multiple Grammy-winning singer/songwriter to 10 BMI London Awards and six BMI US Pop Awards. This marks the second BMI London Award for Normani, who already has three BMI US Pop Awards.
BMI also announced the top 30 most-performed pop songs written by UK or European songwriters, with Ed Sheeran (PRS) taking home six more BMI London Awards for his work on Beautiful People, Cross Me, I Don’t Care, Tip of My Tongue, What Am I and 2002. His collection of BMI awards features 25 London and 17 US Pop, including 2015, 2016 and 2017 London Song of the Year, and 2016 Dance Song of the Year. Sheeran was also one of BMI’s US Pop Songwriters of the Year in 2014 and received US Pop Song of the Year with Shape of You in 2017.
Ellie Goulding received recognition for her hits Hate Me and Close to Me, bringing her BMI total to nine London Awards and seven US Pop Awards.
Niall Horan received his seventh BMI London Award for co-writing Nice To Meet Ya. Caroline Ailin was honoured for co-writing Don’t Start Now (recorded by Dua Lipa) and Camille “Kamille” Purcell was recognised for Don’t Call Me Up (recorded by Mabel).
This year BMI welcomed 34 first-time London Pop Award winners. Some of the new inductees include Eyobed “EY” Getachew and Ella Mai, Sam Roman, Chance the Rapper, Chase Dalton Rose, Ski Mask the Slump God and Charlie Handsome.
BMI Million-Air Awards were also distributed to recognise the iconic songs that have reached a million or more broadcast performances by UK and European songwriters and publishers. Among the legendary songwriters who have reached this milestone are Van Morrison for 13 million performances of Brown Eyed Girl, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for 10 million performances of (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, Sting for nine million performances of Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Bernie Marsden for six million performances of Whitesnake’s Here I Go Again, Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet for five million performances of True and Peter Gabriel for four million performances of Sledgehammer.
Sheeran was also recognised for five million performances of Shape of You and four million performances of Perfect and Thinking Out Loud.
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