Country music’s elite flocked to BMI Tuesday night for the genre’s biggest parking lot party of the year – the 72nd annual BMI Country Awards.
“The BMI Awards represent the Top 50 most (performed) country songs of the year,” explained honoree Chris Janson, who was celebrated for this success with the song he wrote for his wife, Kelly, called “All I Need Is You.” “I always knew it was a hit, and it turns out it was. It’s one of the most-played songs of the year, and I’m really grateful for that. You never know if you’re going to hit that or not. This is my favorite awards show because you have to earn it.”
BMI annually converts its parking garage into a lavish event space with luxurious table linens, extravagant floral arrangements, a steak dinner, and open bars. But, the most successful country songs of the year and the writers who wrote them stay in the spotlight.
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In addition to Janson, other artists celebrated for their last year or work include Chayce Beckham’s “23,” Kane Brown’s “Bury Me In Georgia,” Jelly Roll’s “Need a Favor,” Cody Johnson’s “The Painter,” Warren Zeiders’ “Pretty Little Poison,” Bailey Zimmerman’s “Religiously,” and Luke Combs’ “Where the Wild Things Are.”
BMI Country Awards Recognized 19 First-Time Charttopping Songwriters
BMI gave medals indicating most played songs to 19 songwriters for the first time. Then, the company awarded the year’s most successful songwriters – Chase McGill and Zach Bryan – with BMI’s Songwriter of the Year award. Each man co-wrote six of BMI’s most-performed songs in Country music. McGill co-wrote Morgan Wallen’s “Ain’t That Some,” Luke Bryan’s “But I Got a Beer in My Hand,” Conner Smith’s “Creek Will Rise,” Russell Dickerson’s “God Gave Me a Girl,” Jordan Davis’ “Next Thing You Know” and Thomas Rhett’s “Mamaw’s House.” Bryan penned his “Burn, Burn, Burn,” “Dawns,” “Hey Driver,” “I Remember Everything,” “Oklahoma Smokeshow” and “Sun to Me.”
Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” won 2024 BMI Country Song of the Year. John Byron and Charlie Handsome wrote the 16-week hit that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 nonconsecutive weeks.
BMI’s President and CEO, Mike O’Neill, and Nashville’s VP of Creative, Clay Bradley, hosted the evening that began with a rousing yet heartfelt collaboration from Ella Langley, Lukas Nelson, and Aaron Raitiere on “With a Little Help from My Friends.” O’Neill said the song recognizes country music’s charitable contributions to society this year, including the Tennessee and North Carolina flood victims from September hurricanes.
Chase McGill: “Learn to Write By Yourself”
The performing rights organization honored Alabama‘s Randy Owen with the prestigious Icon Award. Owen, a Country Music Hall of Famer lead singer for Alabama, called it one of the greatest honors of his life.
Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, and Riley Green reduced him to tears with their versions of “Mountain Music,” “Feels So Right,” and “My Home’s In Alabama.”
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. published 34 of the 50 most-performed songs of the year and won Publisher the Year.
“The best advice I’ve ever received as far as a songwriter is, I think, just show up,” McGill told BMI before the show. “On days you don’t want to go, just show up to the write. You never know what’s going to come up.”
He suggested developing songwriters: “Learn to write by yourself.”
(Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images for BMI)
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