BMI Honors Jesse Frasure, Steve Cropper and More at 2018 BMI Country Awards
As the night proceeded, many other songwriting heavy-hitters were celebrated for their works in the genre.
The Nashville songwriting community was honored Tuesday night, Nov. 13, during the 2018 BMI Country Awards.
Best known for songs including Thomas Rhett’s “Marry Me” and LOCASH’s “Ring On Every Finger,” Jesse Frasure was named Songwriter of the Year. During his speech, he praised his fellow songwriters for helping him land his “dream job,” just before acknowledging his wife, who’d recently underwent surgery.
“My wife had a double mastectomy three weeks ago. She’s sitting here looking stunning. So the only thing that could be more special than me standing here right now is the fact that she’s cancer-free,” said Frasure (quote via Billboard). “Everyone in this room that knows her knows that she’s a bad ass. And everybody in this room knows I wouldn’t be here without her.”
As the night continued many other songwriting heavy-hitters were celebrated for their works in the genre. BMI Icon honoree Steve Cropper was treated to a multi-artist performance which included a surprise appearance from John Legend who sang “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay.”
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Group snagged BMI’s Publisher of the Year after landing 20 of the most-played songs of the year, including LANCO’s “Greatest Love Story,” Old Dominion’s “No Such Thing As A Broken Heart” and Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line’s “Meant To Be.” Song of the Year went to Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know,” which was co-written by Tyler Reeve and Trent Tomlinson with Young.
Ahead of the celebration, Sounds Like Nashville caught up with many of the acts attending and being honored on the BMI red carpet. See what they had to say in the video above!
