In New York, NY on May 10, 2021, BMI celebrated the 69th Annual BMI Pop Awards. The company recognized the songwriters, publishers and administrators of the previous year’s most-performed pop songs in the United States across radio and digital streaming platforms. All winners were announced in a special online celebration and on BMI’s social channels, including the recipients of Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Publisher of the Year.
“It is an honor and a privilege to represent some of the best pop music creators in the world,” said Barbara Cane, Vice President Worldwide, Creative. “Their songs are groundbreaking, dynamic and inspiring, and we celebrate their dedication to craft, discipline and success. Music is today’s greatest communicator uniting us, uplifting us, and shaping our most intimate and defining memories. Today as always, BMI applauds the creativity and artistry of these remarkable songwriters.”
Song of the Year was awarded to “The Bones,” co-written by BMI songwriters Laura Veltz and Maren Morris, who also performed the genre-crossing sensation. A metaphor for the importance of a strong foundation in a relationship, the chart-topping single appeared on her sophomore album, Girl, and steadily climbed to the number 12 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100. The melody could be heard on pop, country and alternative radio, fueling its massive success and becoming the biggest hit of Morris’ career to-date. In 2020, the song received a GRAMMY nomination, Morris’ twelfth and Veltz’s second, for Best Country Song and won both Single of the Year and Song of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards. This is the first BMI Pop Award for the pair, who already have a combined total of 14 BMI Country Awards between them.
International popstar Halsey was named Songwriter of the Year for having written four of the previous year’s most performed songs including “Nightmare,” “Graveyard,” “Be Kind,” and “You Should Be Sad.” The two-time GRAMMY nominated singer/songwriter released the declarative and empowering single, “Nightmare,” in the leadup to her third LP, Manic. Released in January 2020, the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with two of the record’s lead singles, the haunting fan-favorite “Graveyard” and the biting country-tinged breakup anthem “You Should Be Sad,” landing on the Billboard Hot 100. Later that year she dropped the EDM-inspired “Be Kind,” a collaboration with fellow BMI songwriter and hitmaker, Marshmello, and the fourth single from the Manic expanded edition. With this award, Halsey earns her tenth BMI Pop Award after receiving accolades for Song of The Year at the 2020 BMI Pop Awards.
As Publisher of the Year, Sony Music Publishing received the distinction for the ninth time having represented 24 of the top 50 award-winning BMI Pop songs including “3 Nights,” “Boyfriend,” “My Oh My,” “Roses,” and “The Man.”
BMI also honored the songwriters, publishers and administrators of the 50 most-performed pop songs of the previous year. This year’s class of recipients included a record 59 first-time Pop award winners such as BENEE, Edgar Barrera, Doja Cat, Trevor Daniel, Metro Boomin, Noah Cyrus, Roddy Ricch, SAINt JHN, JP Saxe and more. Well-known hits like “10,000 Hours” co-written by Jessie Jo Dillon and Shay Mooney, “Bang!” written and performed by AJR, Dua Lipa’s infectious dance anthem “Don’t Start Now” co-written by Caroline Ailin and Ian Kirkpatrick, and Taylor Swift’s “Lover” were also among the songs being recognized.
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