BMI Urban Awards Sept. 10

U.S. performing right organization BMI will honor the songwriters and publishers of the most performed urban songs on U.S. radio and television for the past 12 months. For updates and breaking news, follow @BMI on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bmi and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/broadcastmusicinc.

WHAT: 10th Annual BMI Urban Awards will be hosted by Del R. Bryant, President & CEO of BMI, and Catherine Brewton, Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Atlanta. will.i.am will receive the BMI President’s Award, and will be saluted with an all-star musical tribute during the ceremony. As a BMI President’s Award winner, will.i.am will join an elite group that includes Juanes, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, Willie Nelson, Brian Wilson, Pete Townsend, and 2009 recipients Taylor Swift and Brooks & Dunn, to name a few.

Also to be awarded that night will be the Urban Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Producer of the Year and Publisher of the Year. Additionally, BMI will honor the Top Urban Producers of 2008-2009, as well as the BMI songwriters whose songs have hit #1 on the Billboard R&B, Hip-Hop and Rap charts.

EXPECTED: 2010 BMI President’s Award Winner will.i.am; T-Pain (“Blame It”); Jay Sean (“Down”); Flo Rida (“Sugar”); Pitbull (“Hotel Room Service”); B.o.B. (“Nothin’ On You”); Rodney Jenkins (Lady Gaga’s “Telephone”); Polow Da Don (Keri Hilson's “Turnin’ Me On”); DJ Toomp (Kanye West’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”); Dallas Austin (Gwen Stefani’s “Cool”); Baby of Young Money (The Game’s “My Life,” ft. Lil Wayne); Young Money (“Bedrock”); Cali Swag District (“Teach Me How to Dougie”); Sean Garrett (“Turnin’ Me On”); Jim Jonsin (Soulja Boy Tell’em’s “Kiss Me Thru the Phone”); Bangladesh (Beyoncé’s “Diva”); Kane Beatz (Young Money’s “Bedrock,” ft. Lloyd); Elvis Williams (Beyoncé’s “Ego”); Zaytoven (Usher’s “Papers”); Carlos “Los DA MAESTRO” Mckinney (Trey Songz’s “I Invented Sex”); Benny Blanco (Katy Perry’s “California Gurls”); Pleasure P (“Under”); Makeba Riddick (T.I.’s “Live Your Life”); Ray J (“Sexy Can I”); Soulja Boy Tell’em (“Kiss Me Thru the Phone”); Harold Lilly (Beyoncé’s “Ego”); Kevin Cossom (Keri Hilson’s “Knock You Down,” ft. Kanye West & Ne-Yo); Ron Browz (“Pop Champagne”); Ester Dean (Rihanna’s “Rude Boy”); Brandy (“Full Moon”); and more to be announced.

WHERE: Pantages Theatre (6233 Hollywood Boulevard), Hollywood, Los Angeles, California