Honor to be presented at BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards on Aug. 28
Grammy-winning composer, producer, arranger and guitarist Nile Rodgers will receive the BMI Icon Award at Broadcast Music, Inc.’s R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, to be held Friday, August 28, at the Saban Theatre in Los Angeles. Rodgers, a musical architect of the influential band CHIC and perennial “hit maker,” was selected as this year’s BMI Icon recipient for his catalog and his defining influence on popular music. The star-studded event celebrates the songwriters, producers and publishers of the most-performed R&B/Hip-Hop songs of the previous year.
The evening will also include the presentation of the R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter, Producer, Publisher of the Year and Social Star awards. BMI president and CEO Mike O’Neill and VP, writer/publisher relations, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton will share the evening’s hosting duties.
“The BMI Icon Award is given to an individual for their ability to connect people through song and defy musical expectations,” said Brewton. “Nile’s exceptional body of work, spanning decades, crosses genres and leaves a lasting impression. We’re so thrilled to present this honor to such a singular talent and incredible musician.”
Rodgers constantly evolves and expands the boundaries of popular music. As the co-founder of CHIC, Rodgers pioneered a musical language that sparked the advent of hip-hop with “Good Times” and generated groundbreaking pop hits like “Le Freak,” which was inducted into the 2015 Grammy Hall of Fame. His career-defining productions for David Bowie (“Let’s Dance”), Madonna (“Like A Virgin”), Diana Ross (diana), and Sister Sledge (“We Are Family”), plus his work with artists like Duran Duran, INXS, Mick Jagger, Grace Jones, Steve Winwood, Peter Gabriel, The B-52s, and Michael Jackson, have sold over 200 million albums and 50 million singles worldwide, while his innovative, trendsetting collaborations with Daft Punk, Avicii, Disclosure, and Sam Smith reflect the vanguard of contemporary music.
With over 200 production credits, 17 BMI Awards, and three Grammy Awards, Rodgers transcends all styles of music across multiple generations. Signed to Warner Bros. Records, he’s currently preparing the first new CHIC album in nearly 25 years and will take CHIC on the road throughout 2015 to support the release of its first single “I’ll Be There,” which is currently No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart. He serves as Chairman and Founder of the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF), authored the best-selling “Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco and Destiny” (2011), and distributes soundtracks for popular AAA video games via his national distribution company and record label Sumthing Distribution and Sumthing Else Music Works.
BMI Icons are selected for their unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers. As the 2015 honoree, Rodgers will join elite ranks that include James Brown, Mariah Carey, the Jacksons, Snoop Dogg, Cash Money’s Bryan “Birdman” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams, George Clinton, Isaac Hayes, Little Richard, and Al Green.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More