David Foster Named BMI Icon At 59th Annual BMI Pop Music Awards

Los Angeles, CA (Top40 Charts/ BMI Los Angeles) Leading U.S. music rights organization Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) held its 59th annual Pop Music Awards tonight at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. David Foster was celebrated as a BMI Icon in recognition of his "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." As a BMI Icon, Foster joins ranks that include John Fogerty, Gamble & Huff, Kris Kristofferson, the Jacksons, the Bee Gees, Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton, among others.

Lady Gaga, Jason Derulo and JR Rotem all became the BMI Pop Songwriters of the Year. Gaga, Derulo and Rotem each contributed four songs to the year's most-performed list. Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" garnered Pop Song of the Year honors for co-writers Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley and publishers DWHaywood Music, RADIOBULLETSPUBLISHING and Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. With 16 songs among the year's most-performed, Sony/ATV Songs LLC claimed the Pop Publisher of the Year crystal.

Hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant, along with Barbara Cane, BMI Vice President/General Manager, Los Angeles, and Phil Graham, BMI Senior Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, the ceremony also saluted the writers and publishers of the past year's 50 most-performed pop songs on U.S. radio and television.
For a complete list of 2011 BMI Pop Awards winners, visit www.bmi.com.
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