BMI threw a big party in Nashville on Nov. 18 to celebrate this year’s BMI Country Awards, and the night belonged to Clint Black. The country icon was honored with the 2025 BMI Icon Award, while BMI also handed out trophies for Songwriter, Song, and Publisher of the Year. BMI’s Mike O’Neill hosted the night alongside Mike Steinberg and Clay Bradley.
Clint Black has been a BMI writer since 1993, and in that time he’s stacked up 22 No. 1 hits, all written or co-written by him, plus 20 BMI Awards. Being named a BMI Icon puts him in some unbelievable company: Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Hank Jr., and more.
To celebrate him, the performances were top-tier. Midland kicked things off with “Better Man,” Jamey Johnson delivered “Untanglin’ My Mind,” Wynonna Judd and Randy Houser teamed up for “A Bad Goodbye,” and Riley Green wrapped up the tribute with “Killin’ Time.”
BMI also honored the writers behind the 50 most-performed songs of the year. Charlie Handsome took home BMI Country Songwriter of the Year, thanks to hits like Post Malone ft. Luke Combs’ “Guy For That,” Dylan Scott’s “This Town’s Been Too Good To Us,” Morgan Wallen’s “Love Somebody,” and the massive Post Malone/Morgan Wallen smash “I Had Some Help.”
Speaking of that one, “I Had Some Help” was named BMI Country Song of the Year. The track debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for six weeks, and it was written by Handsome, Hoskins, Ernest Keith Smith, Wallen, and Chandler Paul Walters.
Publisher of the Year went to Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., which had an incredible 32 of the 50 most-played country songs this year. Their catalog includes hits from Luke Bryan, Zach Bryan, Tyler Hubbard, Ella Langley & Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Thomas Rhett, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman, and more.
BMI also highlighted a record 38 first-time award winners, including writers behind songs like “Boys Back Home,” “Miles On It,” “I’m Not Pretty,” “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’),” Koe Wetzel’s “High Road,” “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” “I Never Lie,” and “Wind Up Missin’ You.”
A full list of winners will be posted soon at awards.bmi.com.
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