BMI Foundation Presents Nashville Based Singer/Songwriter Madi Hendry with the Dolly Parton Songwriters Award
L-R: BMI Foundation Trustee and BMI Vice President, Creative, Clay Bradley; 2024 Dolly Parton Songwriters Award Recipient Madi Hendry; and BMI Assistant Vice President, Creative, Mason Hunter.
Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
Nashville, TN - June 7, 2024 - 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. The award was presented by BMI Foundation Trustee and BMI Vice President, Creative, Clay Bradley following performances by emerging country artists Josh Melton, Old Hickory, Graham Barham and The Castellows.
About Hendry’s award, songwriting legend Dolly Parton commented, “I am very proud of you Madi for writing such a fine song. I am proud to have my name up there with yours as you receive the BMI Foundation's Dolly Parton Songwriters Award.”
Hendry’s award-winning song was selected from over 300 submissions by a panel of music industry experts. On being selected for the award, Hendry said, “I am honored to have my song ‘Time Is A Thief’ chosen to receive the Dolly Parton Songwriters Award! Thank you to BMI Foundation and Dolly Parton for their investment in the next generation of songwriters. I am excited to continue chasing my dream of being an artist and songwriter in Nashville with the help of BMI Foundation!”
Born and raised in Franklin, TN, Hendry began writing songs and playing guitar at a young age. Some of the top female country artists that inspire her include Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, and Dolly Parton. Now a junior at Belmont University studying songwriting, Hendry aspires to write, record, and tour professionally as a performer and songwriter.
The Dolly Parton Songwriters Award is an annual, national competition open to aspiring songwriters with a monetary prize of $10,000 for the best original song entry in the genres of Americana, blues, bluegrass, contemporary Christian, country, folk, and roots. Originally established in 2015 as the Nashville Songwriting Scholarship, the award was created to celebrate the BMI 75th anniversary and pay homage to the musical epicenter and “Songwriting Capital of the World,” Nashville, Tennessee. In 2022, the program was revised to honor the creativity and generosity of the legendary artist Dolly Parton with an endowment from Sony Music Publishing's Rusty Gaston as well as a contribution from country superstar Luke Combs.
