Sony/ATV crowned Music Publisher of the Year
Image: David Bowie’s ’Heroes (We Could Be)’ was among the Sony/ATV songs celebratedat the BMI Pop Awards
PRESS RELEASE:
Sony/ATV Music Publishing has been crowned Music Publisher of the Year at the BMI Pop Awards.
The company received the prestigious honor at the 64th annual event held Tuesday night (May 10th) at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, California, making it the third successive time Sony/ATV has been named Publisher of the Year by BMI. Its songwriters also received 23 pop awards at the ceremony, which recognizes the year’s most-performed pop songs.
Among the Sony/ATV songs that picked up pop awards were “Bad Blood”, “Blank Space”, “Style” and “Wildest Dreams, all of which were co-written and recorded by Taylor Swift who first signed to the music publisher as a teenager.
At the event she also became the first recipient of a new award bearing her name in recognition of what BMI says are her “incomparable creative and artistic talent and influence on music lovers throughout the world”. The Taylor Swift Award is only the second time in BMI’s 76-year history that the company has presented an award in somebody’s name and follows Michael Jackson receiving a similar honor in 1990.
Sony/ATV Chairman and CEO Martin Bandier said: “This was an incredible night for Sony/ATV and its who’s who list of songwriters. We’re proud of all our writers, but it would be remiss if I didn’t single out Taylor Swift who has been signed to us since day one of her career and who never ceases to amaze us with her talent.”
Taylor Swift was also named Songwriter of the Year at the event, while the Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars hit “Uptown Funk”, which is co-published by Sony/ATV, was Song of the Year.
Sony/ATV’s other winners included Ed Sheeran who received pop awards for “Don’t”, “Photograph” and “Thinking Out Loud”, while Fall Out Boy were recognized for “Centuries” (co-written with Sony/ATV songwriter J. R. Rotem) and “Uma Thurman”.
There were also pop awards for Sony/ATV writers including A$AP Rocky, Colbie Caillat, Elle King, Flo Rida, Hozier, Rachel Platten and Sam Smith. The David Bowie’s classic “Heroes”, which is co-published by the company, was additionally honored.
Meanwhile, songwriting team Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil received the BMI Icon Award for what the organization says is “their indelible contributions to the craft of songwriting”. Sony/ATV publishes many of the pair’s classic songs, including “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”, “On Broadway” and “We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place”, which all feature in the award-winning stage production Beautiful – The Carole King Musical in which they are also portrayed. The musical is co-produced by Sony/ATV.
The full list of Sony/ATV winning songs with the company’s BMI writers alongside are:
“Bad Blood” co-written by Taylor Swift
“Blank Space” co-written by Taylor Swift
“Centuries” co-written by Fall Out Boy (Andrew Hurley, Joseph Trohman, Patrick Stump, Peter Wentz) and JR Rotem
“Don’t” co-written by Ed Sheeran, Dawn Robinson
“Ex’s & Oh’s” co-written by Elle King
“Fight Song” co-written by Rachel Platten
“Good For You” co-written by A$AP Rocky
“Habits (Stay High)” co-written by Daniel Lewinsky
“Heroes (We Could Be)” co-written by David Bowie
“Hey Mama” co-written by Giorgio Tunifort
“I’m Not The Only One” co-written by Sam Smith
“Night Changes” co-written by Jamie Scott
“One Last Time” co-written by Giorgio Tuninfort
“Photograph” co-written by Ed Sheeran
“Somebody” co-written by Flo Rida
“Style” co-written by Taylor Swift
“Take Me To Church” written by Hozier
“Thinking Out Loud” co-written by Ed Sheeran
“Time Of Our Lives” co-written by Pitbull
“Try” co-written by Colbie Caillat
“Uma Thurman” co-written by Fall Out Boy (Andrew Hurley, Joseph Trohman, Patrick Stump, Peter Wentz)
“Uptown Funk” co-written by Jeff Bhasker, Devon Gallaspy
“Wildest Dreams” co-written by Taylor Swift