Deirdre Chadwick, President of the BMI Foundation, Inc., has announced changes to the format of the BMI Foundation New Music Grants Program. The program will now provide up to three years of support to qualifying music organizations across the United States, adjudicated by a panel of Artistic Consultants made up of musicians and music industry veterans.

BMI Foundation, Inc. awarded media composers Yaron Eigenstein and Sarah Senior the 2025 Pete Carpenter Fellowships in Los Angeles and New York, respectively. Eigenstein will receive mentorship from Kevin Kiner (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Peacemaker) and Ronit Kirchman (The Sinner, Fractal), while Senior will receive mentorship from New York-based composers Trevor Gureckis (The Goldfinch, Old) and Gil Talmi (Harry & Megan, Lead Me Home). Los Angeles-based composer Rick McGuire was also named the Honorable Mention for the award.

BMI Foundation, Inc. has named Singer/Songwriter Janette Mata as the 2025 peermusic Latin Music Award recipient in recognition of her original song “Triste Despedida.”

BMI Foundation, Inc. has announced the presentation of the 2025 Chris Trousdale Dream Awards and Curtis Mayfield Scholarships to high school students across the country.

BMI Foundation, Inc. has announced the recipients of the 2025 BMI Foundation John Lennon Awards. Singer/songwriter Dafna was awarded the first prize in the esteemed competition, with Chloe Southern and Julia Kirkwood receiving second and third place, respectively, out of over 650 applications.

BMI Foundation, Inc. presented the Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize and Manny Albam Commission to Michael R. Dudley Jr. for their composition “Infidels” at the 36th Annual BMI Jazz Composers Workshop Summer Showcase, held at Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space in New York City on June 20th. The night also featured the premiere of 2024 winner Takumi Kakimoto’s Manny Albam Commissioned work “Chasing the Horizon.”

BMI Foundation, Inc. has announced the recipients of the Evelyn Buckstein Scholarship, Kavi Ohri Memorial Scholarship, and Theodora Zavin Scholarship are Dallana Santos, Shania Evans, and Luca Castrogiovanni, respectively.

BMI Foundation, Inc. is thrilled to announce that Flagstaff-based singer-songwriter Audrey Ketter was honored with the Dolly Parton Songwriters Award at the CMA Fest Ryman & BMI Block Party in Nashville on June 5th.

BMI Foundation, Inc. and BMI announced the recipients of the 73rd annual BMI Composer Awards on May 28th at Joe’s Pub in New York City. The awards, which celebrate excellence in composition, were presented to six emerging composers by BMI Foundation President and BMI Executive Director of Classical Deirdre Chadwick and renowned composer and Chair of the Composer Awards Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. 

BMI Foundation, Inc. has named composer and multi-instrumentalist Anton Kot as the winner of the 10^th Annual BMI Future Jazz Masters Award, with composer and pianist Warren Pettey receiving an honorable mention. The announcement was made at a private event co-hosted by BMI and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in celebration of the Jazz Masters Fellows in Washington, D.C.

BMI Foundation, Inc. has announced two new four-year partnerships with award-winning organizations American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) to present works receiving honors at the BMI Composer Awards.

BMI Foundation is mourning the loss of Evelyn Buckstein. After a long career in the music and legal sectors, Evelyn passed away peacefully on January 15, 2025 at the age of 98. 

BMI Foundation, Inc. awarded the 2024 Charlie Feldman Award to Atlanta-based artist Cam The Artisan. The Charlie Feldman Award, established in 2021 in honor of retired BMI Vice President for Creative Charlie Feldman, grants a prize of $2,000 annually to an emerging BMI songwriter in any genre.

New York, NY - November 25, 2024 - The BMI Foundation, Inc. has named Baltimore-based pianist and composer Tomás Jonsson the winner of the 2024 peermusic Latin Music Award. Jonsson’s winning composition, Ocurrencias, was written as a tribute to the sudden inspiration he experiences in his songwriting process. As part of the award, Jonsson will receive a career grant as well as 1:1 artistic mentorship from Venezuelan singer-songwriter and producer Jorge Luis Chacín.

The American Composers Orchestra (ACO) named BMI Foundation, Inc. a 2024 Creative Catalyst honoree at their third annual Gala and Creative Catalyst Awards in New York City on Tuesday, October 15th. The Creative Catalyst Awards honor the contributions of visionary leaders who exemplify the ACO’s core values of artistry, creativity, community and equity. The night, which had the theme of “Raise up!”, also honored violinist and composer Regina Carter and ‍Verve Group Emeritus Creative Director and VP Hollis King. 

BMI Foundation, Inc. has awarded media composers Nathan Beverage and Leigha Logan the Los Angeles and New York Pete Carpenter Fellowships, respectively. Beverage will receive mentorship from LA-based composers Stephanie Economou (The Chair, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla) and Ronit Kirchman (The Sinner, Fractal), while Logan will receive mentorship from NY-based composers Trevor Gureckis (The Goldfinch, Old) and Gil Talmi (Harry & Megan, Lead Me Home).

Singer/songwriter Aria Lisslo received the first prize for the 2024 BMI Foundation John Lennon Award, with Eva Westphal and Peyton Marie named second and third-place award winners from over 500 applicants.

BMI Foundation, Inc. recently announced the recipients of the 2024 Curtis Mayfield Scholarships and 2024 Chris Trousdale Dream Awards. These programs support young high school musicians in continuing their studies of music, with awards totaling over $30,000.

BMI Foundation, Inc. held a reception for the recipients of the Evelyn Buckstein Scholarship, Theodora Zavin Scholarship, and Kavi Ohri Memorial Scholarship on June 13th at BMI’s headquarters in New York City.

BMI Foundation, Inc. presented singer/songwriter Madi Hendry with the 2024 Dolly Parton Songwriters Award for her song “Time is a Thief” at the CMA Fest Ryman & BMI Block Party in Nashville on June 6th.