BMI Foundation Announces Inaugural Babyface Award
Photo by Jerry Metellus
NEW YORK, NY - May 27, 2026 - BMI Foundation, Inc. is pleased to announce a new partnership with 13-time GRAMMY Award-winning recording artist, songwriter, and producer Babyface to create a new competitive program, the BMI Foundation Babyface Award. Founded with an initial $25,000 investment from Wells Fargo, the Babyface Award provides artistic and business mentorship and a $10,000 career grant to songwriters and composers of R&B, hip-hop, soul, and other music of the African diaspora. The program is co-directed by BMI Executive Director, Creative, Atlanta Byron Wright and songwriter, producer and performer Will Wells.
"We are deeply honored that Babyface would partner with us on this award,” shared Will Wells. “Few individuals embody the excellence, impact, and enduring influence of songwriting within the music industry as a whole, as well as the broader tradition of American music from the African diaspora the way he does. As a songwriter, producer, artist, entrepreneur, and creative visionary, Babyface has helped define the sound of multiple generations while opening doors for countless creators who followed. To have his name attached to this award is both profoundly meaningful and incredibly inspiring.”
"Babyface is a true icon. As an accomplished songwriter, producer, and performer, he’s worked and steered the careers of many towards stardom, including TLC, OutKast, Usher, Toni Braxton, and more,” said Wright. “The quality and variety of his talents are unmatched, and we are honored that he is willing to share his expertise with the emerging songwriters and composers who receive this award."
One of the most celebrated creative forces in music history, Babyface developed his love for music early on when he began songwriting at the age of 12. Upon graduating high school, he got signed to his first record deal after joining the band, Manchild. In the 1980s, he broke into the music world as guitarist and songwriter for the R&B band, The Deele. Today, Babyface is the only producer to win the ‘Producer of the Year’ category four times, three times of which was in consecutive years (1995-1997); a record he holds to this day. He has also had three consecutive multi-platinum albums: Tender Lover (1989), featuring the #1 “Tender Lover”; For the Cool in You (1993), which included “Never Keeping Secrets” and “When Can I See You”; and The Day (1996) featuring “Every Time I Close My Eyes.” Babyface is also co-founder of the legendary record label LaFace, which launched the careers of artists like Usher, Toni Braxton, TLC, Outkast, and P!nk, and he has written and produced hits for artists including Bobby Brown, Boyz II Men, Eric Clapton, Madonna, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, Mary J Blige, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Phil Collins, Janet Jackson, NSYNC, Chaka Khan, Faith Evans, Jay Z, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Lionel Richie, Michael Bolton, Kenny G, Lil Wayne, Luther Vandross, Barbara Streisand, and countless others.
The application for the Babyface Award is open through June 30th, 2026 to composers and songwriters of hip-hop, R&B, soul, and other American music of the African diaspora between the ages of 17 and 30 and in residence in the United States, whose works have not been assigned to any major music publisher or major record label. Applicants can apply on the BMI Foundation website.
About the BMI Foundation, Inc.
The BMI Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to encourage the creation, performance, and study of American music. The Foundation’s programs include competitive scholarships for songwriters and composers, operating grants for nonprofit arts presenters, and support for innovative music education initiatives in schools and communities across the country. For more information about the work of the Foundation, please visit our website at www.bmifoundation.org. For exclusive news and content, follow @bmifoundation on Instagram and like BMI Foundation on Facebook.
