Kenny Chesney, Thomas Rhett Receive Top Honors at 2016 BMI Country Awards
The invitation-only event celebrates the songwriters and publishers of the most-performed country songs of the past year.
The stars were out in full force at Tuesday night’s (Nov. 1) BMI Country Awards in Nashville. The invitation-only event, which is the genre’s oldest awards ceremony, celebrates the songwriters and publishers of the most-performed country songs of the past year.
Prior to the show, Sounds Like Nashville caught up with several of the honorees, including Cole Swindell, Brett Eldredge, Chris Young, and LOCASH, to chat about the big night.
“This is why I moved to this town, to be a songwriter, so this award show is always special to me every year,” Swindell confessed.
Jamie Lynn Spears, who received a BMI medallion for co-writing the Jana Kramer hit “I Got The Boy,” was over the moon about attending the show alongside some of her heroes. “It feels surreal, it really does,” she shared. “I look around and I see all these people that inspire me and people that I’m like, ‘oh my gosh, I get to walk on the same floor they do!'”
During the event, superstar Kenny Chesney was honored with the BMI President’s Award, an honor that is presented to “songwriters who have distinctly and profoundly influenced the entertainment industry.” The award has previously been given to artists/songwriters such as P!nk, Willie Nelson, Brooks & Dunn, Pitbull, Adam Levine, Gloria & Emilio Estefan, and Toni Braxton.
To honor Chesney, Keith Urban sang Chesney’s most performed single, “I Go Back,” while Eric Church delivered a memorable performance of “Anything But Mine” and songwriter Dean Dillon sang the Tennessee native’s first single, “The Tin Man.”
The coveted Song of the Year title was given to “Die a Happy Man,” written by performer Thomas Rhett with BMI songwriter Sean Douglas and Joe London.
Additionally, Ross Copperman, who has writing credits on songs such as Florida Georgia Line’s “Confession,” Billy Currington’s “Don’t It,” Brett Eldredge’s “Drunk on Your Love” and “Lose My Mind,” Keith Urban’s “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16,” A Thousand Horses’ “Smoke” and Luke Bryan’s “Strip It Down,” was named Songwriter of the Year.
Check out the video above for more from the BMI Country Awards red carpet with artists such as Dustin Lynch, Chris Janson, Granger Smith, Lindsay Ell, and many more!
