BMI London Awards Honor Donovan, John Lennon Receives Six Awards

The BMI London Awards were held last night at London's Dorchester Hotel, honoring the most performed songs on U.S. radio and television stations over the last year. Those being honored are members of PRS for Music, the U.K.'s performing rights society, who are also represented by BMI in the United States.

The Icon Award went to Donovan as an artist who has had “a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” From a BMI press release:

Donovan transformed popular music in the 1960s, earning 12 consecutive Top 40 hits, including Mellow Yellow, Sunshine Superman, Wear Your Love Like Heaven, There Is a Mountain, Lalena, Epistle to Dippy, Atlantis, Hurdy Gurdy Man, and Jennifer Juniper, all of which he wrote alone. His compositions have also resurfaced in hit films and television series, as well as various advertising campaigns. In 1965, Catch the Wind earned an Ivor Novello Award for best contemporary folk song, marking the first time the honor was bestowed on an artist’s debut single. Donovan received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Hertfordshire in 2003, and in 2009, he became Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters from the Minister of Culture, France, and garnered the American Visionary Art Museum Baltimore’s prestigious Grand Visionary Award. A man not only of unfathomable talent but of rare conviction as well, he is a well-known proponent and student of Transcendental Meditation and leads the musical wing of the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace. Hard at work on a new album entitled Ritual Groove, Donovan plans to tour continuously through 2010.

The Robert S. Musel Award for Song of the Year went to Pocketful of Sunshine which was written by the original singer, Natasha Beddingfield and songwriter Danielle Brisebois. Now, Brisebois does not qualify as a veteran musician, but she is a veteran of the entertainment business, having cut her teeth playing the Bunker's niece Stephanie on the TV series All in the Family for a number of seasons. The song also won College Song of the Year.

Pete Townshend once again received three awards in the field of TV Music Awards for the Who songs used as themes for CSI, CSI: Miami and CSI: New York.

Finally, a number of veteran artists were given multi-million performance awards for songs that have garnered at least three-million plays on radio. Note that the awards went to only the songwriters in both PRS and BMI, so writing credits may not be complete (i.e., John Lennon is listed but not Paul McCartney who is a member of ASCAP).

• 9-Million
• Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison (written by Van Morrison)
• 5-Million
• Black Magic Woman - Santana (written by Peter Green)
• I'm Not in Love - 10 CC (written by Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart)
• Jumpin' Jack Flash - Rolling Stones (written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards)
• Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton (written by Eric Clapton)
• 4-Million
• Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan (written by Gilbert O'Sullivan)
• Back in the High Life Again - Steve Winwood (written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings)
• Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen (written by Freddie Mercury)
• Get Back - Beatles (written by John Lennon)
• Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John (written by Elton John)
• Ticket to Ride - Beatles (written by John Lennon)
• A World Without Love - Peter & Gordon (written by John Lennon)
  
• 3-Million
• Do You Want to Know a Secret? - Beatles (written by John Lennon)
• Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode (written by Martin Gore)
• Help! - Beatles (written by John Lennon)
• If I Fell - Beatles (written by John Lennon)
• Owner of a Lonely Heart - Yes (written by Jon Anderson, Trevor Horn, Chris Squire & Trevor Rabin)
• Paint it Black - Rolling Stones (written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards)
• Pinball Wizard - Who (written by Pete Townshend)
  
• Right Down the Line - Gerry Rafferty (written by Gerry Rafferty)
• Tiny Dancer - Elton John (written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin)
• Two Hearts - Phil Collins (written by Phil Collins & Lamont Dozier)
• We Will Rock You - Queen (written by Brian May)