Last night BMI proudly celebrated the songwriters and publishers of the year’s most-performed R&B/hip-hop songs during the 2016 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, held at the Woodruff Arts Center’s Symphony Hall in Atlanta. Multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Toni Braxton took home the night’s highest honor when she was presented with the BMI President’s Award in recognition of her immeasurable impact on popular music over her distinguished 25-year career.
The BMI President’s Award is awarded on special occasion to an individual songwriter, composer, producer or executive who has made exemplary contributions to the art of music and has profoundly influenced the entertainment industry. As the 2016 honoree, Ms. Braxton joined fellow recipients Ludacris and Will.i.am in sharing this distinction.
Hosted by actor and comedian Chris Tucker alongside BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations in Atlanta Catherine Brewton, the night included stellar performances by some of the hottest talent on the music scene. Hip-hop heavyweight and mega producer DJ Khaled kicked off the show with his smash hit “All I Do Is Win” featuring Ludacris. Kent Jones, one of the year’s most buzzed about new artists, lived up to the hype when he rocked the mic with his smash single “Don’t Mind.” The momentum kept building when Rich Homie Quan hit the stage to perform his recent singles, “Type of Way” and “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)” while Rae Sremmurd got the crowd moving with “No Type” and brand new single, “Black Beatles.”
The second half of the evening included an array of outstanding tribute performances honoring Toni Braxton beginning with Donald Lawrence & Company performing “You Mean the World to Me” and vocal powerhouse Yolanda Adams received a standing ovation with her moving rendition of “Un-Break My Heart.” Three of the Braxton sisters, Towanda, Traci, and Trina paid homage to their sister showcasing their incredible talent on “Breathe Again” and R&B chanteuse Ledisi wowed the audience with “Seven Whole Days.” After a moving introduction by L.A. Reid, Ms. Braxton took center stage for a spectacular performance of fan favorite, “He Wasn’t Man Enough” with her sisters on backing vocals.
Throughout the evening, the 35 best-performing R&B/Hip-Hop songs in the U.S. from BMI’s repertoire of over 10.5 million musical works were named along with Top Producers Awards going to Ben “Billions” Diehl and Southside. Top honors went to Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa for “See You Again” which claimed Song of the Year, Universal Music Publishing Group took home Publisher of the Year, and Metro Boomin was awarded Producer of the Year.
The event was sponsored by the Swisher Sweets Artist Project which increases awareness and exposure for emerging musical talent.
Watch an exclusive interview with BMI President’s Award honoree
Here’s the full list of 2016 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards winners:
PRESIDENT’S AWARD
Toni Braxton
R&B/HIP-HOP SONG OF THE YEAR
“See You Again”
Charlie Puth
Wiz Khalifa
Andrew Cedar*
Phoebe Louise Cockburn*
DJ Frank E*
Joshua Karl Simon Hardy*
Dann Hume*
Artist 101 Publishing Group
Charlie Puth Music Publishing
U P G Music Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Wiz Khalifa Publishing
R&B/HIP-HOP PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR
UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP
“All Eyes On You”
“Antidote”
“Ayo”
“Bitch Better Have My Money”
“Classic Man”
“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
“Fun”
“G.D.F.R.”
“Here”
“Hold You Down”
“Only”
“Post To Be”
“See You Again”
“Somebody”
“The Night Is Still Young”
“Truffle Butter”
“Where Ya At”
“White Iverson”
R&B/HIP-HOP PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Leland “Metro Boomin” Wayne
35 BMI Most Performed R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
679
Brian “Peoples” Garcia
7/11
Noel “Detail” Fisher
Bobby Johnson
Sidney Swift
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Hip Hopville USA Music
If You Need Me Don’t Leave Me
Songs of Crowd Control Publishing
Songs of Swift Songs
ABOUT THE MONEY
Young Thug
Songs of YSL Music Publishing
ALL EYES ON YOU
Chris Brown
Kevin Cossom
Andre Davidson
Sean Davidson
Alex Delicata
DJ Khaled
Steven “Stevie J” Jordan
Nicki Minaj
Danny Morris
BMG Platinum Songs US
Culture Beyond Ur Experience Publishing
Delicata Music
Give Thanks Publishing
Harajuku Barbie Music
Hypnotic Beats, Inc.
Numbers Never Lie
Rebel Made Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Y.R.P. Music Publishing
ANTIDOTE
Thomas Brenneck
Leon Michels
Nicholas Movshon
Travis Scott
Homer Steinweiss
BMG Platinum Songs US
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Extraordinaire Music LLC
Music of BIG DEAL
Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Travis Scott Music
AYO
Nicholas Balding
Chris Brown
Tyga
BMG Platinum Songs US
Culture Beyond Ur Experience Publishing
Dad’s National Publishing LLC
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Tygaman Music
BE REAL
Nick Audino (APRA)
DJ Mustard
Lewis Hughes (APRA)
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Mustard on the Beat Publishing
SONGS MP
BITCH BETTER HAVE MY MONEY
Rihanna
Travis Scott
Kanye West
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Monica Fenty Music Publishing
Please Gimme My Publishing, Inc.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Travis Scott Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
CLASSIC MAN
George Astasio
Jidenna
Madam Kateri
Kurtis McKenzie
Jason Pebworth
Jasbir Sehra “Beast”
Jon Shave
Nana Kwabena Tuffuor
John Turner
Milan Wiley
Magic Chief Publishing
Sony/ATV Ballad
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Turn First Music Publishing
Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.
DOWNTOWN
Darian Asplund
Ben Haggerty
Tim Haggerty
Ryan Lewis
Macklemore Publishing
MRL Entertainment
Ryan Lewis Publishing
EARNED IT (FIFTY SHADES OF GREY)
Stephan Moccio (SOCAN)
Songs of Universal, Inc.
U P G Music Publishing
FLEX (OOH, OOH, OOH)
Dequantes Lamar p/k/a Rich Homie Quan
RichHomiez Publishing
TIG7 Publishing LLC
FOURFIVESECONDS
Dallas Austin
Mike Dean
Tyrone William “Ty$” Griffin, Jr.
David Longstreth
Rihanna
Kanye West
Cydel Young
BMG Platinum Songs US
Domino Publishing Company of America, Inc.
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Its Drugs Publishing
Monica Fenty Music Publishing
Mr. Redan
Papa George Music
Please Gimme My Publishing, Inc.
Rowdy Man Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
FUN
Chris Brown
Jason Evigan
Jordan Johnson
Marcus Lomax
Armando “Pitbull” Perez
Abuela Y Tia Songs
Bad Robot
BMG Platinum Songs US
Culture Beyond Ur Experience Publishing
R8D Music Publishing
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
G.D.F.R.
Flo Rida
Paulo “P-Lo” Rodriguez
Sage The Gemini
Artist 101 Publishing Group
HBK P-Lo Publishing
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
HERE
Alessia Cara (SOCAN)
Warren “Oak” Felder
Isaac Hayes
Sebastian Kole [Coleridge Tillman]
Andrew “Pop” Wansel
Crow’s Tree Publishing
Irving Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Sony/ATV Ballad
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
HOLD YOU DOWN
August Alsina
Bkorn
Chris Brown
DJ Khaled
Future
Andre “Dre” Lyon
Sayyid Hakim McDonald
Bkorn Music Publishing
Culture Beyond Ur Experience Publishing
Dade Co. Project Music, Inc.
DJ Khaled Publishing
Irving Music
Money Mack Music
Nayvadius Maximus Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Universal Music-Z Songs
HOTLINE BLING
Timmy Thomas
EMI-Longitude Music Co.
I DON’T LIKE IT, I LOVE IT
Geoffro Cause
Flo Rida
Breyan Isaac
Artist 101 Publishing Group
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
I DON’T MIND
Jordan “Juicy J” Houston
BMG Platinum Songs US
Deeetta Music
MY WAY
Dominick J. Eagles “Nickebeats”
BMG Platinum Songs US
Nickebeats
NO TYPE
Aaquil “Slim Jxmmi” Brown
Khalif “Swae Lee” Brown
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
ONLY
Lil Wayne
Nicki Minaj
Harajuku Barbie Music
Money Mack Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
POST TO BE
Jhené Aiko
Chris Brown
DJ Mustard
Sly Dunbar (PRS)
Micah Powell
Bobby Turner
August Rush Music
BMG Platinum Songs US
Culture Beyond Ur Experience Publishing
Mustard on the Beat Publishing
Notting Hill Music, Inc.
SONGS MP
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.
SEE YOU AGAIN
Charlie Puth
Wiz Khalifa
Artist 101 Publishing Group
Charlie Puth Music Publishing
U P G Music Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Wiz Khalifa Publishing
SHE KNOWS
Jordan “Juicy J” Houston
BMG Platinum Songs US
Deeetta Music
SLOW MOTION
Geoffro Cause
Charlie Puth
Trey Songz
April’s Boy Music LLC
Artist 101 Publishing Group
Charlie Puth Music Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
SOMEBODY
Flo Rida
Natalie La Rose
Will Lobban-Bean
George Merrill
Shannon Rubicam
Krystin Watkins p/k/a Rook Monroe
Artist 101 Publishing Group
BMG Platinum Songs US
Boy Meets Girl Music
Irving Music
Songs By Cook Classic
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
THE NIGHT IS STILL YOUNG
Ester Dean
Nicki Minaj
Dat Damn Dean Music
Harajuku Barbie Music
Money Mack Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
THROW SUM MO
Aaquil “Slim Jxmmi” Brown
Khalif “Swae Lee” Brown
Kenneth “Soundz” Coby
Young Thug
Songs of YSL Music Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
TIME OF OUR LIVES
Alfred Lazaro “Al Burna”
Armando “Pitbull” Perez
Abuela Y Tia Songs
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
TRUFFLE BUTTER
Lil Wayne
Nicki Minaj
Harajuku Barbie Music
Money Mack Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
TRY ME
David “DDS” Smith
DDS 825 Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
WHERE YA AT
Future
Leland “Metro Boomin” Wayne
Irving Music
Nayvadius Maximus Music
Pluto Mars Music
WHITE IVERSON
FKI 1st
Post Malone
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Posty Publishing
Smash Digital
Songs of Universal, Inc.
