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Peter CottonTale, Chance the Rapper and BMI Make History at Lollapalooza With Gospel Performance

by Emerson Unger
written by Emerson Unger

Courtesy of @realcottontale

“I’m from Chicago, the birthplace of gospel” and with those words music producer and composer turned performer, Peter CottonTale, made history at this year’s BMI Stage at Chicago’s Lollapalooza. Now, the iconic and legendary BMI stage at Lollapalooza is known for supporting emerging, up-and-coming as well as established artists. The stage has been home to acts like Neon Trees, Elle King, and even Lady Gaga.

However, this year’s performance with Peter CottonTale was certainly history-making. At the beginning of his set, he acknowledged the fact that like himself, Chicago, was the birthplace of gospel. He added it was funny that Chicago’s most iconic music festival had never had a gospel performance before. To a packed crowd he joked if those in attendance didn’t get a chance to make it to church today well church is coming to you.

He began his set accompanied by a choir with the song, “God is Love,” before performing “Hi-5,” “He is Real,” and “I Want to Thank You.” He rounded out the first part of his set with his collaboration with the mega-church Hillsong for the songs, “As I Am” and “Grateful/Together.”

Not missing the opportunity to collaborate with some of his famous friends and those he admires, Peter CottonTale was then joined on stage by Reese for the guitar and keyboard-driven song “Do Your Thing.” CottonTale followed that performance up with the toe-tapping and uplifting  “When I Get There,” with Jamila. He rounded out this part of the set with Joey performing “Don’t Leave” and then “Give It Up to God.” He also teamed up with Vic Mensa for “No Worries” as well as Tiff Joy for “Feels Like Church.”

Then to the crowd’s delight, the versatile Gammy-winning artist, CottonTale, called on an old friend to come by and help him uplift the crowd during this historic event. CottonTale tapped his decade-long friend and Chicago’s son, Chance the Rapper, to help him deliver powerful renditions of “Pray for Real” and “Forever Always.” Chance the Rapper called out to the crowd numerous times to show his love and support.

At the end of the show, the 15+ performers all headed backstage to commemorate this historic moment. It’s during this time that we caught up with the one the only Chance the Rapper, who expressed what the moment meant to him. “It’s amazing,” Chance acknowledged about the moment. He added, “it’s a blessing [especially on a Sunday], absolutely!”

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On the Scene: Award Winning Song Writers and Producers Talk BMI 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards

by Serena Khahera
written by Serena Khahera

The Knockturnal got the chance to talk to some of the writers behind your favorite songs. Have you ever wondered what it takes to make it in the music industry, or why some people choose to stay more “behind the scenes” when it comes to music? Well, The Knockturnal has some of the answers for you after attending the BMI Pop Music Awards on May 10, 2022 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills California.

First we talked to BMI’s 2022 Songwriter of the Year Michael Pollack who gave us some advice on what it takes to be a great songwriter!

 

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Next we got to chat with Tia Tia who is the songwriter behind “My Head & My Heart” last night at the 2022 BMI Pop Awards!

 

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After that we also got to interview Jessica Agombar who is the songwriter behind BTS’s “Dynamite” and she talked to us about what it was like writing a song that has touched so many around the world during a difficult time.

 

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BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: (L-R) Omer Fedi, winner of multiple awards such as Song of the Year for ‘Mood’ and Songwriter of the Year, and Addison Rae attend the 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on May 10, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for BMI)

We also got to interview Brandon “SlimXX” Allen who is the producer behind Machine Gun Kelly’s “my ex’s bestfriend” last night and during the interview we also got an appearance by BMI 2022 songwriter of the year Omer Fedi.

 

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We had a great time chatting with Oliver “Junior” Frid and Tayla Parx who are both behind Ariana Grande’s “POV” and told us about what it is like working together especially in such a collaborative industry.

 

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Afterwards we also got to talk to the amazing Nija Charles who won two BMI Awards last night for being the songwriter behind Ariana Grande’s “positions” and Maroon 5’s “Nobody’s Love”.

 

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Celebrating over 80 years of service to songwriters, composers, music publishers and businesses, Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®) is a global leader in music rights management, serving as an advocate for the value of music. BMI represents the public performance rights in over 18.7 million musical works created and owned by more than 1.2 million songwriters, composers, and music publishers. The Company negotiates music license agreements and distributes the fees it generates as royalties to its affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed in public. In 1939, BMI created a groundbreaking open-door policy becoming the only performing rights organization to welcome and represent the creators of blues, jazz, country, and American roots music. Today, the musical compositions in BMI’s repertoire, from chart toppers to perennial favorites, span all genres of music and are consistently among the most-performed hits of the year.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: (L-R) Songwriter of the Year award co-winner Michael Pollack, President and Chief Executive Officer of BMI Michael O’Neill, and Songwriter of the Year award co-winner Omer Fedi attend the 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on May 10, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for BMI)

We got to interview Sarah “Solly”Solovay who is the songwriter behind Jason Derulo’s @jasonderulo “Take You Dancing” who talked to us about what winning an award like this means to her.

 

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Not only did we get to interview Stephen Kirk about what it was like working on BTS’s “Butter”, but we also got an inside look to some of the future projects he is working on.

 

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When talking Oak Felder, who is a music creative behind Demi Lovato’s “I Love Me”, he told us a little bit about how amazing it was to be at an event like this with all his friends again especially after being mostly work from home due to COVID-19.

 

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We also got to interview Andrew Goldstein who is the songwriter behind Maroon 5 and Meg the Stallion’s “Beautiful Mistakes”, All Time Low and blackbear’s “Monsters”, and Machine Gun Kelly and blackbear’s “my ex’s bestfriend”.

 

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The event was an absolute dream featuring an amazing dinner, full bar, and tons of amazing performances that really set the tone for the night. Thanks to the BMI’s so many celebrated and accomplished music creatives that would typically be more behind the scenes were highlighted at this amazing even and got to join an amazing lineage of celebrated songwriters and producers. When we got to talk to some of these songwriters and producers they were all in agreement that thanks to BMI they also get to shine under the spotlight and be appreciated for all the work they do.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: Michael Pollack attends the 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on May 10, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images for BMI)

Check out our interviews with some of the award winning songwriters being celebrated that night as well as our behind the scenes TikTok!

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On the Scene: 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards Pays Tribute To The Best In Songwriting

by Serena Khahera
written by Serena Khahera
The Knockturnal was on the scene last night as BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) paid tribute to the best in songwriting at the 70TH Annual BMI Pop Awards held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Legendary music creators Carole Bayer Sager and Mike Stoller were named BMI Icons, celebrating their countless and timeless contributions to the art of songwriting. In addition, BMI’s Pop Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Publisher of the Year and BMI’s top 50 most-performed pop songs in the U.S. of the previous year were also announced. The private event was hosted by BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill and Vice President Worldwide Creative Barbara Cane. Some of the winners of the night included:
“Mood” Named BMI Pop Song of the Year;
Omer Fedi and Michael Pollack Tied for Songwriter of the Year;
Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group
Honored with Publisher of the Year
Celebrating over 80 years of service to songwriters, composers, music publishers and businesses, Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®) is a global leader in music rights management, serving as an advocate for the value of music. BMI represents the public performance rights in over 18.7 million musical works created and owned by more than 1.2 million songwriters, composers, and music publishers. The Company negotiates music license agreements and distributes the fees it generates as royalties to its affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed in public. In 1939, BMI created a groundbreaking open-door policy becoming the only performing rights organization to welcome and represent the creators of blues, jazz, country, and American roots music. Today, the musical compositions in BMI’s repertoire, from chart toppers to perennial favorites, span all genres of music and are consistently among the most-performed hits of the year.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: (L-R) President and Chief Executive Officer of BMI Michael O’Neill, honoree Mike Stoller, honoree Carole Bayer Sager, and Vice President, Worldwide Creative and Advisor to the EVP, Creative & Licensing at BMI Barbara V. Cane attend the 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on May 10, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images for BMI)

The celebration opened with students from USC Thornton School of Music performing a medley in honor of the night’s BMI Icons, Carole Bayer Sager and Mike Stoller. The talented ensemble, led by program chair Patrice Rushen, performed selections of the Icons’ biggest hits including, “Hound Dog,” “Yakety Yak,” “Poison Ivy” and “Stand By Me,” written by Stoller and “Best That You Can Do (Arthur’s Theme),” “The Prayer” and “That’s What Friends Are For” by Sager.
GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter Ledisi also paid tribute to the illustrious career of Carole Bayer Sager with a powerful performance of her 1977 hit, “Nobody Does It Better.” Some of Sager’s other incomparable songs include “On My Own,” “A Groovy Kind of Love,” “Don’t Cry Out Loud,” and more.  She’s worked with the biggest stars in music including Neil Diamond, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Bette Midler, Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand, among countless others. Her work has earned her many of the industry’s top accolades such as a GRAMMY Award, an Oscar, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and 26 BMI Awards. After being named a BMI Icon, Sager said, “songwriting has rewarded me throughout my entire life…I wrote in my memoir that songwriting not only gave me my life but saved my life.” She went on to say, “the greatest gift of all is the realization that we are all connected, and it’s music that bridges people all over the world.”

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: Students in a USC Thornton School of Music ensemble perform onstage during attends the 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on May 10, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for BMI)

Americana music star Anderson East took to the stage to honor world-renowned songwriter Mike Stoller, with a moving rendition of his iconic hit “Stand By Me.” As one half of the renowned songwriting team, Leiber & Stoller, Mike Stoller composed some of the most beloved selections from the American canon, including perennial classics like “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Love Potion No. 9,” “On Broadway” and hundreds more that have helped shape the course of popular music. Stoller has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and shares a star with Leiber on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He’s won a GRAMMY Award, the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and an impressive 57 BMI Awards, among many others. On being honored as a BMI Icon, Stoller said, “I’m just delighted, honored and thrilled, and I only wish my late partner Jerry Leiber was here to accept such an award as well. He would have loved it.”

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: Ledisi performs onstage during the 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on May 10, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for BMI)

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: Anderson East performs onstage during the 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on May 10, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for BMI)

Sager and Stoller join an elite group of songwriters who have been honored with BMI’s highest accolade, including Mann & Weil, Sting, Barry Manilow, Willie Nelson, The Bee Gees, Brian Wilson, Carlos Santana, Carole King, Crosby, Stills & Nash, David Foster, Dolly Parton, the Jacksons, John Fogerty, Merle Haggard, Nile Rodgers, Paul Simon and Stevie Nicks, among others.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: (L-R) Honorees Mike Stoller and Carole Bayer Sager attend the 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on May 10, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for BMI)

Throughout the ceremony, the 50 most-performed pop songs of the previous year in the U.S. were also revealed, leading up to BMI’s Pop Song of the Year, which went to “Mood” by 24kGoldn, Iann Dior, Omer Fedi, KBeaZy and Blake Slatkin. The massive hit was certified 5x platinum by the RIAA and spent eight weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and 35 weeks at the top of Billboard’s Hot Rock and Alternative chart.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: (L-R) Omer Fedi, winner of multiple awards such as Song of the Year for ‘Mood’ and Songwriter of the Year, and Addison Rae attend the 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on May 10, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for BMI)

BMI’s Pop Songwriter of the Year was a tie between Omer Fedi and Michael Pollack with each writing four of the most performed songs. In addition to the BMI Song of the Year “Mood,” Fedi co-wrote “MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name)” (co-written with Denzel Baptiste and David Biral of “Take a Daytrip,” Roy Lenzo and Lil Nas X), “Stay” (co-written with Cashmere Cat, Isaac “Zac” De Boni, Haan, The Kid LAROI, Michael “Finatik” Mulé, Charlie Puth and Blake Slatkin) and “WITHOUT YOU/WITHOUT YOU (Remix)” (co-written by The Kid LAROI and Blake Slatkin, with Miley Cyrus contributing to the remix). Pollack was honored for his hand in co-writing “Anyone” (co-written with Raul Cubina, Jordan K. Johnson and Andrew Watt), “Daisies” (co-written with Jordan K. Johnson), “Holy” (co-written with Chance the Rapper, Anthony M. Jones and Jorgen Odegard), and “Nobody’s Love” (co-written with Nija Charles, Brandon “B HAM” Hamlin, Jordan K. Johnson and Ryan Ogren).

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: (L-R) Songwriter of the Year award co-winners Omer Fedi and Michael Pollack attend the 70th Annual BMI Pop Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on May 10, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for BMI)

Both Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group tied for the honor of Publisher of the Year, each representing 28 of the previous year’s most performed songs. BMI also welcomed 60 first time Pop Award winners including D’Mile (“Leave the Door Open”), GIVĒON (“Peaches”), Megan Thee Stallion (“Beautiful Mistakes”) and Tia Tia (“My Head & My Heart”), to name just a few. For a full list of the 2022 honorees, please visit www.bmi.com/pop2022 .
The event was an absolute dream featuring an amazing dinner, full bar, and tons of amazing performances that really set the tone for the night. Thanks to the BMI’s so many celebrated and accomplished music creatives that would typically be more behind the scenes were highlighted at this amazing even and got to join an amazing lineage of celebrated songwriters and producers. When we got to talk to some of these songwriters and producers they were all in agreement that thanks to BMI they also get to shine under the spotlight and be appreciated for all the work they do.
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Brandy Awarded President’s Award at 2019 BMI Awards

by Whitney J.
written by Whitney J.

On Thursday, August 29, 2019, Atlanta’s stars and elite gathered in Byers Theatre for the 2019 BMI awards and of course it was a star-studded event! BMI, Broadcast Music, Inc has been a global leader in music rights management for over 78 years, servicing songwriters, composers, music publishers and businesses. The event was hosted by BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neil and BMI Vice President, Creative, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton.

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Janet Jackson to receive BMI Icon Award

by Daisy Maldonado
written by Daisy Maldonado

BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.), the global leader in rights management, proudly announces that the multiplatinum superstar, Janet Jackson will be named a BMI Icon during the 2018 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards. The event will be held Thursday, August 30th at The Woodruff Arts Center’s Symphony Hall in Atlanta. It will be hosted by BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI Vice President Creative (Atlanta), Catherine Brewton.
“As one of the most influential entertainers of all time, Janet Jackson’s artistry and music transcends generations and has inspired many with messages of empowerment that can be heard throughout her rich catalog of music,” said Brewton. “She is the definition of an icon, and I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this honor.”

A very limited, elite group of recipients have received BMI’s Icon Award, and now Jackson will be joining them. Past recipients have included Patti LaBelle, Nile Rodgers, James Brown, Snoop Dogg and Al Green among others. They were recognized for their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” Throughout her groundbreaking career, Jackson has sold more than 160 million records worldwide and scored seven No. 1 albums. She is the only artist in Billboard’s history to have three different albums— Control, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 and janet.—each resulting in five or more top ten hits on the Hot 100 chart. Jackson also is one of only four artists, alongside Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, and U2, to have earned No. 1 albums in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.

Alongside her two Emmy nominations, she has also received a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination and garnered six GRAMMY® Awards along with dozens of American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards, including this year’s Billboard Icon Award which was her first televised performance in nine years. Additionally, Jackson has a series of upcoming summer performances that kick off July 8th in New Orleans at the ESSENCE Festival and go through August 12th in San Francisco at the Outside Lands Music Festival.

Throughout the evening, BMI will also salute the songwriters, producers, publishers and administrators of the past year’s 35 most-performed R&B/Hip-Hop songs in the United States from BMI’s repertoire of more than 13 million musical works. The BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter, Producer and Publisher of the Year will be named during the ceremony.

BMI has celebrated over 77 years of service to songwriters, composers, music publishers and businesses, Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®). BMI is a global leader in music rights management, and serves as an advocate for the value of music. They represent the public performance rights in nearly 13 million musical works created and owned by more than 800,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers. The Company negotiates music license agreements and distributes the fees it generates as royalties to its affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed in public. In 1939, BMI established a groundbreaking open-door policy becoming the only performing rights organization to welcome and represent the creators of blues, jazz, country, and American roots music. Today, the musical compositions in BMI’s repertoire, from chart toppers to classic favorites, span all genres of music and are consistently among the most-performed hits of the year.

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