What happens when you get the best of the best songwriters in music all in one room? The BMI Pop Awards! Taking place at the ritzy Beverly Wilshire Hotel, the seated dinner style awards ceremony is put on by the world’s leading music rights management company BMI. Hosted by BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neil and Vice President Worldwide Creative Barbara Cane, the BMI Pop Awards main honoree of the evening was singer, songwriter, and performer, Sting. His classic hit “Every Breath You Take” is the most played song in BMI’s repertoire with over 15 million performances. This made Sting the recipient of a prestigious award only a handful have ever earned.
“I am so deeply proud to be a member of this community of songwriters. There’s a rare nobility in this profession that is more than just mere entertainment, and I believe it has something to do with the form of a song,” said Sting while receiving his honor.
On the carpet a few guests like MAX and others shared their thoughts with us. “I think that it’s such a special song in that it’s so raw and it’s really unapologetic to that feeling of what love is.”
“I remember listening to it as a kid and still do now as a 30-something year old man. It is a song that manages to be very sweet and very creepy at the same time and I think when you can do that as a singer and as a songwriter you kind of tapped into something magical which probably explains why it’s such a relevant song for so many years,” said Warren Oak Felder, a notable writer and producer many might recognize for working with Demi Lovato.
Later in the evening, the multi-platinum Grammy Award-winning band Imagine Dragons were awarded the BMI President’s Award. An accolade also given to Luis Fonsi, P!nk, Adam Levine, Taylor Swift, and Kenny Chesney in the past. After receiving their award, Imagine Dragons performed acoustic versions of their hits “It’s Time,” “Believer” and “Radioactive.”
Bebe Rexha who happens to be one of my favorites right now was also present at the awards ceremony. She was honored for song of the year for “Meant To Be” with Florida Georgia Line. She didn’t stop for any press on the carpet except for The Knockturnal. You already know I have a way of getting people’s attention and I lived for this iconic moment below:
What’s cool about the BMI Pop Awards is that it recognizes and honors some of the people who are behind a lot of your favorite songs. People you might not have particularly known about but are still responsible for the success of the people we stan. Ross Golan (Dangerous Woman, Same Old Love), Ilsey Juber (High Hopes), Jason Evigan (Girls Like You, What Lovers Do), and Grey (The Middle) are just a few of these people who are at the helm of many bops and were honored at the awards as well.
Photo Credit: Sabine West (@sabinewestphotography)
