Van Morrison to be honored as BMI Icon at annual London Awards Oct. 5

NEW YORK (BMI) - BMI today announced that legendary songwriter and recording artist Van Morrison will be honored as a BMI ICON at the performing rights organization's annual London Awards. The gala ceremony and dinner will be held October 5 in the Grand Ballroom of the Dorchester Hotel in that city.

Morrison, who is a member of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, will be honored for his "enduring influence on generations of music makers." He joins a distinguished list of previous BMI ICONs, including R&B legends James Brown, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and Little Richard; "Soul Men" Isaac Hayes and Al Green; Motown songwriting trio Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland; country legends Bill Anderson and Dolly Parton; and pop songwriting master Brian Wilson.

The BMI London Awards will recognize the European songwriters and publishers of the most played songs on U.S. radio and television in the past year and in a variety of music formats. The Robert J. Musel Award will be presented to the writer and publisher of the most performed song of the year.

Founded in 1939, BMI is an American performing rights organization that represents more than 300,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music. Through its music performance and reciprocal agreements with sister organizations around the world, it grants businesses and media access to its repertoire of approximately 4.5 million songs and compositions.