Graham Lyle to Be Honored as a BMI Icon at the 2024 BMI London AwardsBMI announced that Graham Lyle will be presented with the BMI Icon Award at the 2024 BMI London Awards to be held 9 December at The Savoy. The legendary songwriter, guitarist and producer will be honored in celebration of his illustrious career spanning over 50 years and his enduring catalog of hit songs, which have left a lasting impression on generations of music lovers worldwide. The private event will be hosted by BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill.

“We’re very honoured to salute the incomparable songwriter Graham Lyle with the BMI Icon Award in celebration of a lifetime of timeless hit songs that deeply resonate with global audiences,” said O’Neill. “We’re also excited to pay tribute to all our outstanding 2024 BMI London Award winners and recognise their incredible accomplishments. It’s going to be a fantastic evening.”

The ceremony also pays tribute to the British and European songwriters and publishers of the previous year’s most-performed songs on US streaming, radio and television from BMI’s repertoire of over 22.4 million musical works. The BMI London Song of the Year, Million-Air Awards, and awards for Pop, Film, Television and Cable Television Music will also be presented throughout the evening.

As one of the most successful British songwriters of his generation, Lyle has written countless hit songs, including Tina Turner’s classic, “What’s Love Got To Do With It” with Terry Britten.  The global smash reached No.1 in the US, Canada and Australia, won Song of the Year at the 1984 GRAMMY Awards, and eventually became Turner’s best-selling single. It also earned Lyle multiple BMI Million-Air Awards, ultimately reaching eight million broadcast performances on U.S. radio. As a testament to its enduring legacy, many artists have performed and covered the massive hit over the years, including Mickey Guyton at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction in 2021, rapper Warren G released a hip-hop version in 1996, and Norwegian DJ/producer Kygo released a remix with Turner in 2020.

Over his career, Lyle has received multiple BMI Awards, as well as BMI Million-Air Awards for many of his other iconic hits, including “What’s Luv?” by Fat Joe ft. Ashanti, which sampled “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “I Don’t Wanna Lose You,” “Jewel of the Nile,” and “Typical Male,” each with two million performances. “We Don’t Need Another Hero,” also performed by Turner, “Joe Knows How to Live,” “Stay Young,” and “Women Like Men” have accumulated one million performances.  He also received an Ivor Novello in 1986 and a Tartan Clef Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2010, and in 2012, he co-wrote “One Woman: A Song for UN Women,” released on International Women’s Day, to support the empowerment and gender equality of women around the globe.

More info here: BMI

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