Gary Kemp honoured with the BMI Icon Award at the 2023 BMI London Awards 03 Oct 2023
P2J PRESENTED WITH THE BMI IMPACT AWARD
“Woman” By Aaron Horn, Linden Jay, Jidenna, Doja Cat and Yeti Beats Named Song of The Year
THE EVENING ALSO CELEBRATED TOP UK AND EUROPEAN SONGWRITERS, PUBLISHERS AND COMPOSERS
BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) honoured the renowned singer/songwriter Gary Kemp with the BMI Icon Award last night at the 2023 BMI London Awards. Globally acclaimed producer P2J was also honoured with the BMI Impact Award. Throughout the ceremony, BMI paid tribute to UK and European songwriters, producers, composers and publishers of the most-performed songs of the previous year. The private event, held at London’s Savoy Hotel, was hosted by BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill.
Throughout his career as a founding member, primary songwriter and guitarist behind the legendary new wave band, Spandau Ballet, Kemp’s songs have spent a combined total of over 500 weeks on the charts and garnered over 25 million record sales. Some of his accolades include a Q Award, a BRIT Award, an IVOR Novello for Outstanding Song Collection and multiple BMI Awards. After being presented with the honour, Kemp took to the stage, accompanied by Toby Chapman, and performed his classic hit, “True,” which has over 5 million airplays in the US alone and has been featured in more than 100 movies, countless TV shows and advertising campaigns around the globe. It is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
As a BMI Icon, he joins an elite group of previous recipients including The Bee Gees, Busta Rhymes, Don Black OBE, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Ray Davies, John Fogerty, David Foster, Peter Gabriel, Graham Gouldman, The Jacksons, Carole King, Kris Kristofferson, Barry Manilow, Willie Nelson, Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton, Queen, Nile Rodgers, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Sting, Van Morrison and Brian Wilson, among others.
Globally acclaimed producer P2J was presented with the BMI Impact Award in recognition of his ground-breaking artistry, creative vision and impact on the future of music. As a tribute, Ghanaian group FBS played a medley of some of P2J’s biggest hits including, “Essence” by Wizkid featuring Tems, “Brown Skin Girl” by Beyonce, SAINt JHN, and Wizkid, “Anybody” by Burna Boy, and more. In receiving this award, he joins previous recipients Tems, RAYE, Arlo Parks and Ice Spice. Upon being presented with the award, P2J said, “When I was growing up as a kid it wasn’t cool to be African. When I started making Afro beats in 2009…I remember people saying, ‘that’s not going to hit right now’… and just said, ‘I don’t know, I couldn’t tell you… I just knew that the sound needed to be heard out there in the world.’”
Song of the Year went to “Woman” performed and co-written by Doja Cat along with songwriters Aaron Horn, Jidenna and Linden Jay, who also produced the smash hit. This award is given to the most performed song of the previous year by UK or European writers in the BMI catalogue. “Woman” spent an incredible 52 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and 29 weeks on the Billboard Rhythmic Airplay chart peaking at No. 1 where it stayed for five weeks.
Among the multiple Million-Air awards presented throughout the evening were Sting’s “Every Breath You Take” with 18 million performances and “Everything She Does Is Magic” received 10 million performances, “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison has 14 million performances and “Your Song” by Elton John has 11 million performances.
Alongside the BMI Icon Award, BMI Impact Award, Million-Air Awards and Song of the Year, awards for Pop, Dance, Film, Television and Cable and Streaming were also presented throughout the ceremony.
NEWS & PRESS
Tickets For Good announces launch of Belgian business at Wallifornia, opens £3m funding round
The Wallifornia Conference Startups alumni returns to reveal latest expansion news. TfG recipients include some 500k registered healthcare workers, teachers, and charity workers across UK, EU and U.S. It's distributed 1million+ free and discounted tickets from 1,000+ live event partners, including Dua...more
Lewis Capaldi surprises fans in London's Covent Garden to launch 'Room to Reflect' meditation booth with TikTok
SCOTTISH SUPERSTAR PARTNERS WITH TIKTOK TO ENCOURAGE THE NATION TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RESET FROM EVERYDAY LIFE The ‘Room to Reflect’ experience was narrated by Lewis Capaldi, offering a sanctuary from the London daily grind to meditate and escape the...more
Beatport Live Launches 'The Block'
A Touring Container Stage Spotlighting Emerging DJs at Junction 2, Creamfields, and The Prospect Building Over the last five years, more than 400 nightclubs have closed in Britain and Beatport recognises the urgent need to offer more than just a digital...more
BDi Music signs exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Paige Bea
Bea is a sought after musician, songwriter, DJ and emerging producer. BDi Music has signed artist and songwriter Paige Bea to an exclusive worldwide publishing deal. Paige Bea is a London-born musician, songwriter, DJ and emerging producer. Originally trained as an opera...more
Bandcamp Daily's Summer 2025 Hotlist Spotlights Its Most Anticipated New Releases
Open Mike Eagle, Wet Leg, Kokoroko, Alex G, Susumu Yokota and more are all featured in the Summer 2025 Hotlist Bandcamp Daily, the editorial arm of the world’s largest online music marketplace and community, has released its 2025 Summer Hotlist, a curated collection...more
Universal Music Greater China announces strategic global alliance with "Godfather of Mandarin R&B" David Tao and his company Great Entertainment
Universal Music Group to Release David Tao’s New Studio Album STUPID POP SONGS, with Physical Pre-Orders Opening Soon Universal Music Greater China (UMGC), a division of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today announced a strategic global...more
David Bowie Centre - V&A Announces More Detail, plus The Last Dinner Party and Nile Rodgers
From guest-curated displays to unrealised projects, the V&A announces new details on the David Bowie Centre - opening at the V&A East Storehouse on 13 September 2025 A new home for David Bowie's archive – V&A East Storehouse's David Bowie Centre – gets...more
WMA announces expansion of UK & European Publicity, Social and Marketing Divisions
Andy Saiker appointed as Head of PR, Social & Marketing (UK & Europe) Global digital marketing and creative agency, WMA are delighted to announce the appointment of Andy Saiker as Head of PR, Social and Marketing (UK & Europe), effective immediately....more
Tems Launches The Leading Vibe Initiative, Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Music
APPLICATION DEADLINE THIS JULY 13TH Two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer, Tems announces today the launch of the Leading Vibe Initiative, a groundbreaking platform designed to support, connect and amplify young women in music across Africa, with a vision to...more
WeAre8 Announces 8fest: The World's First Social Media Music Festival, curated by industry insiders
The next generation of music talent is about to transform your social feed experience. WeAre8, the social media bringing social and economic freedom to artists worldwide, today unveils 8fest - a global, three-day virtual festival running next week from11-13 July 2025,...more
The Money Trench - The Music Industry Podcast celebrates its first anniversary with two new headline sponsors
The podcast curated by Mark Sutherland and executive producer Mike Walsh will launch its 50th episode with the support of SoundOn and Tixel The Money Trench – The Music Industry Podcast with Mark Sutherland (‘TMT’), is celebrating its first anniversary with...more
Cyanite and ON AIR strengthen partnership to deliver AI-driven insights for playlist curation in MusicMaster Scheduling
To redefine music programming for broadcasters and audio platforms, ON AIR has integrated Cyanite's industry-leading AI music tagging into the familiar MusicMaster Scheduling environment. This collaboration unlocks entirely new, data-driven pathways for playlist curation, helping radio stations and content creators...more
Warner Music buys Skorpioni Music's catalogue
Independent label's strong legacy in Finnish music will endure Warner Music Finland has bought the catalog of renowned independent record company Skorpioni, which had announced earlier this year that it would be ceasing operations. This is a significant transition in the local...more
Bauer Media Audio Appoints Paul Eldon as Director of Measurement
Bauer Media Audio has appointed Paul Eldon as Director of Measurement, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and trust in audio measurement across all its markets. Paul brings over 15 years of experience in media measurement, audience analytics and advertising technology. He...more
Music industry unites to raise over £715,000 for Nordoff and Robbins Music Therapy at O2 Silver Clef awards
David Gilmour, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Mika, The Last Dinner Party, The Corrs, Chase & Status and more honoured at glittering evening ceremony at JW Marriott Grosvenor House The UK music industry joined together tonight to honour some of its most iconic and...more
The Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd. Announces Tom Greene as New CEO
Today, Apple Corps Ltd. announces the appointment of Tom Greene as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 2025. Since 1968, Apple Corps Ltd. has overseen The Beatles’ creative and business interests. During that time The Beatles – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George...more
Tees Reborn: Bravado's Radical Upcycling Project Aims to Thread a Greener Future for Merch Business
More than 400,000 leftover tour t-shirts will be respun into new items and sold on tours this fall Bravado, the world's leading artist merchandise and lifestyle company, announced today the launch of an ambitious program to upcycle obsolete or unsold t-shirts...more
BandLab Expands Licensing Platform to Connect Artists and Rights Holders to AI Companies, Opening the Door to Legal AI Music Models
BandLab, the world's largest social music creation platform, today announced a major expansion of BandLab Licensing (licensing.bandlab.com), introducing a structure with clear guidelines that allows artists, labels, and publishers to signal interest in licensing their music to train AI models....more
Warner Music Group and Bain Capital announce launch of joint venture to invest up to $1.2 billion in iconic music catalogs
Warner Music Group (NASDAQ: WMG), the global music entertainment company, and Bain Capital, a leading global private investment firm, are launching a joint venture to allow for the purchase of up to $1.2 billion of legendary music catalogs across both recorded music...more
Chrysalis Records announces Tina McBye as Senior Vice President, Commercial Music Operations
Chrysalis Records, which is part of the Reservoir group of companies, has announced the promotion of Tina McBye to the position of Senior Vice President, Commercial Music Operations. Based in the company’s London offices Tina will report directly to Alison Wenham,...more
BRIT School Chair of Trustees Josh Berger CBE Hosts Fundraiser Event at Ronnie Scott's for the UK's leading free Arts School
Current and former students staged a showcase - representing all areas of the creative industries from dance and music to spoken word and musical theatre. Former student and Ivor Novello award winning songwriter, Dan Gillespie Sells performed, and newly graduated rising...more
RSA announces David Joseph CBE as new Chief Executive Officer
Former Chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK to lead Royal Society of Arts into bold new future The Royal Society of Arts (RSA) is delighted to announce the appointment of David Joseph CBE as its new CEO. David will formally...more
Exclusive after show tickets released for sold-out Ladies Who Rock event
In addition, an online auction offers chance to win works from top contemporary artists, as well as film memorabilia, and VIP experiences Now in its 5th year, Ladies Who Rock fundraiser which takes place on 10 July at Hotel Café Royal...more
TikTok and Tomorrowland announce a global partnership to bring the best of electronic music to global audiences
TikTok today announces a new partnership deal with Tomorrowland (7m followers), the world-famous electronic dance music festival, to deliver unprecedented digital festival experiences for global music fans. The new wide-ranging, year-long partnership will see TikTok serve as Tomorrowland's Official Content Partner, offering 24/7 festival...more
The UK's Official biggest songs and albums of 2025 so far revealed
Alex Warren overtakes Lola Young to land the biggest single of the year so far with Ordinary (OCC)Sam Fender scoops the biggest new album release of 2025 Sabrina Carpenter's Short N' Sweet deluxe edition and UK tour keeps her in front in...more
Open letter from WIN CEO to European Commission Vice-President Teresa Ribera
Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera European CommissionRue de la Loi / Wetstraat 2001049 BrusselsBelgium 30 June 2025 Dear Ms. Ribera, I am writing regarding the investigation by the Directorate-General for Competition into the proposed acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings LLC (Downtown) by Universal...more
Taylor Swift and Charli XCX Help Attract Record 23.5 Million Music Tourists Spending £10 Billion at UK Music Events - New Report Reveals
UK Music Calls on Communities to Get Behind Music in new Hometown Glory Report Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Bruce Springsteen, Sam Fender and Dua Lipa helped lure a record 23.5 million music tourists to concerts and festivals in the UK in 2024, a...more
BMG Brings Seeed catalog under one roof
BMG has acquired the artist and label rights of the German band Seeed. The agreement covers their first five albums: New Dubby Conquerors (2001), Music Monks (2003), Next! (2005), Live (2006), and Seeed (2012). With the release of Bam...more
Amazon Launches the Ultimate Oasis Fan Destination
Plus Chance To Win Tickets To Live ‘25 tour Amazon announces exclusive CD and Vinyl products available to pre-order on July 8 - with up to 15% off selected CD, Vinyl, and Merch for Prime members in celebration of Prime Day (July...more
Apple Music celebrates 10 years with the launch of a new global hub for artists designed to foster creativity and connection
Tune in to Apple Music Radio for a broadcast celebration with hosts Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden, and special guests as they reminisce about their favourite moments from the past 10 years while looking toward the future As Apple Music marks its...more
THE HEADLINES
V&A East Storehouse to open the David Bowie Centre (see News)
ESCA calls on the EU to block Universal Music’s deal to buy Downtown (see News)
Virgin Music CEOs push back against critics of Downtown Music deal (see News)
Record labels are running on empty (see Opinion)
AI music is going viral, but it’s not what fans want (see Comment)
The Velvet Sundown may be the first breakout AI band from Suno (see Digital)
Amid cuts, WMG to "continue to supercharge our capabilities in long-term artist, songwriter, and catalog development" (see Business)
WIN CEO writes to European Commission Vice-President over Universal's acquisition of Downtown (see Comment)
If Spotify truly champions discovery, it should champion fair compensation from the first stream (see Comment)
Selected Glastonbury coverage (see News, Features, Showbiz, Reviews)
Streaming is both retail and radio – it shouldn’t be (see Comment)
Impala’s Helen Smith on UMG's planned Downtown acquisition (see Comment)
Retiring Arista CEO David Massey shares his top 10 career highlights (see Features)
Budweiser’s royalty loophole ad: How AI and social have changed the value of creators (see Comment)
When did making music get so lonely? (see Comment)
How will Taylor Swift’s masters ownership saga be remembered? (see Audio&Visual)
The copyright war between the AI industry and creatives (see Comment)
Interview: Lyor Cohen, the head of YouTube Music (see Features)