BMI’s Clay Bradley highlights MusicRow‘s MusicRow Awards issue, featuring BMI writers Rhett Akins and Thomas Rhett on the cover. Photo: Bev Moser, Moments By Moser.
It is high time for a big-time MusicRow shout-out to BMI.
The performance rights organization hosted the 26th annual
MusicRow
awards ceremony on Wednesday evening (June 18) with so much style that I
must comment. You know where that big reception desk is at the far end
of the lobby? Well, that zone now converts into a large staging area
with a video-wall backdrop. That wall had a huge, glowing blow-up of the
awards logo. “Look at this set-up,” exclaimed the mag’s
Sherod Robertson. “I feel like a star up here.”
Sony/ATV’s Terry Wakefield accepts for Cole Swindell for Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year. Photo: Bev Moser, Moments By Moser
That’s not all. The sound in the echo-y lobby has been famously bad,
which BMI overcame with a much-improved audio system. BMI put on the dog
in the food department, too. Meat balls. Chunky guacamole with tortilla
chips. Stuffed peppers. Chicken tenders. And BMI writers are featured
on the cover of the current print, awards-edition of the publication.
The father-son BMI songwriter duo of
Rhett Akins and
Thomas Rhett are smiling there. “We’re proud to have this event here,” said BMI’s
Clay Bradley to the throng of attendees. “To me, this is always the kick-off to summer.”
“These awards started in 1989,” said Robertson. “Some of my staff
members weren’t born in 1989. I guess I’m okay with that.” The
magazine’s
Eric Parker and
Sarah Skates presented the
Top-10 All-Star Musician awards. These are the only honors by any
organization that salute the session musicians who make Nashville’s
hits. This year, the group included
Russ Pahl (steel),
Aubrey Haynie (fiddle),
Ilya Toshinsky (guitar),
Greg Morrow (drums),
Charles Judge (keyboards),
Jimmie Lee Sloas (bass),
Wes Hightower (background vocalist) and
Justin Niebank (engineer). Pahl is a first-time winner in his category. Producer of the Year winner
Frank Liddell is on vacation, but sent in this statement: “I’m in the Virgin Islands, celebrating the hell out of this.”
MusicRow celebrates Song of the Year “All Kinds of Kinds.” Pictured (L-R): MusicRow‘s Sarah Skates, Warner/Chappell’s Ben Vaughn, songwriters Don Henry and Phillip Coleman, Carnival Music’s Courtney Gregg, and MusicRow Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson. Photo: Bev Moser, Moments By Moser
“All Kinds of Kinds” was written way back in 1998, but
Miranda Lambert finally made it a hit and the
MusicRow Song of the Year. “I told my mom I had a Miranda Lambert cut,” said co-writer
Phillip Coleman.
“She said, ‘Which song is it?’ I told her it was ‘All Kinds of Kinds,’
and she said, ‘That’s my least favorite song you’ve ever written.’” “Any
time you can get a song on the country charts with a cross dresser in
it, I’m all for it!” quipped co-writer
Don Henry. Coleman and Henry performed the song splendidly at the event.
Pictured (L-R): MusicRow‘s Sarah Skates, MusicRow Breakthrough Artist of the Year Brandy Clark and MusicRow Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson. Photo: Bev Moser/Moments By Moser
The Breakthrough Artist award went to
Brandy Clark over four
other nominees, all but her on major labels. “I was a little shocked
when I heard that I had been nominated,” she confessed. “The critics,
who most people hate, I love. This project has been driven by the
press,” she explained offstage, “and by other artists.”
Eric Church has chosen her as his current opening act. “Everybody loves you,” I told her. “At least, everybody with taste.” Her album is
12 Stories.
“Since it came out, it’s been the most talked-about thing in the music
business,” said Robertson. “It’s the best album EVER,” said
Woody Bomar. There was a tie for Breakthrough Songwriter. Sony/ATV’s
Terry Wakefield accepted for
Cole Swindell. The co-winner was
Nicolle Galyon.
Nicolle Galyon is honored as one of MusicRow‘s Breakthrough Songwriters of the Year, and is honored with a MusicRow Challenge Coin for her MusicRow CountryBreakout chart-topping hit “Automatic.” Photo: Bev Moser, Moments By Moser.
“I write for the best publishing company in town,” said Galyon. “It took a lot of people believing in me and fighting for me.
B.J. Hill signed me [to Warner-Chappell] when I was 23 years old. I’m almost 30 now.” She also thanked
Rodney Clawson
for his support. “Everybody here knows he’s a great songwriter,” she
said. “I can attest to what a great husband and father he is.” Finally,
she thanked her father. The day was his birthday, which he spent pouring
contract in 100-degree weather back home in Kansas. “If that doesn’t
make us all want to work harder, I don’t know what does,” Galyon
concluded. The classically trained pianist sang her co-written Lambert
hit “Automatic” in a strong, emotive voice.
Nicolle Galyon performs her MusicRow CountryBreakout chart-topping hit “Automatic.” Photo: Bev Moser, Moments By Moser
The denizens of Music Row turned out in full force for the ceremony.
David Ross, David Preston, David Wykoff, Dave Pomeroy and
Dale Bobo were there. Plus
John Ozier, John Briggs, John Beiter and
John Mullins (“I can’t believe a wholly SESAC song won Song of the Year”). Not to mention
Joe Moscheo, Josh Osborne, James Elliott, Janie West, Jim Femino, Jody Williams and
Jessie Jo Dillon.
Pictured (L-R): Phillip Coleman and Don Henry perform “All Kinds of Kinds.” Photo: Bev Moser, Moments By Moser
Mike Vaden, Mike Martinovich, Martha Moore, Scott Stem and
Luke Laird mingled with
Ben Vaughn, Barry Dean, Beth Gwinn and
Bill Wence, who has just returned from performing with
Wanda Jackson on the
Queen Mary in L.A. at an “Iron & Ink” tattoo convention. I don’t make this stuff up. Wence says that
Junior Brown and
Merle Haggard were there singing, too. Back at the party:
Susan Collier, Shannan Hatch, Steve Nathan, Sherrill Blackman and new artist
Sydney Lett worked the room with
Allen Brown, Al Schiltz, Lance Miller and
Leslie Mitchell. Other fabulons attending included
Trent Summar, Pat Higdon, Ree Guyer Buchanan, Rich Fagan, Earle Simmons, Holly Bell and
Phil Graham. Speaking of Graham, thank-you, again, BMI.
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