SMP EARNS PUBCO OF THE YEAR AT BMI R&B/HIP-HOP

Jon Platt’s Sony Music Publishing earned Publisher of the Year honors at BMI’s 2022 R&B/Hip-Hop Awards. The pubbery had 20 top-performing songs at the event, which took place at LIV Nightclub in Miami Beach on 9/7.

Song of the Year went to “Peaches,” the Justin Bieber smash featuring GIVĒON and Daniel Caesar; the monster track was co-penned by Caesar, GIVĒON, Bernard “HARV” Harvey, Luis Manuel Martinez Jr. and Andrew Watt.

Jon Platt; Walter Jones; "Peaches" tunesmiths; D'Mile

Megan Thee Stallion, a UMPG writer, and Christopher “YC” Pearson (Warner Chappell/NLess) took Songwriter of the Year trophies. Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II (most recently acclaimed for his work with Silk Sonic) was anointed Producer of the Year.

Busta Rhymes was honored with the BMI Icon Award.

Among the Sony writers celebrated on this auspicious occasion were Adam Rich Foster, Ambezza, Bernard “HARV” Harvey, Bobby Sessions, Charalambos Antoniou, Craig Love, GIVĒON, Henock Siyoum, Julian Mason, Kanye West, aka Ye, Kelvin Wooten, Luis Campozano, Jason Avalos, Jonathan Priester, Maneesh Bidaye, Moneybagg Yo, Lil Tjay, Lil Nas X, Noah Pettigrew, Pardison Fontaine, Rico Beats, Rod Wave, Ryan Vojtesak, Tahj Money, Tems, TM88, Tobias Dekker and Wizkid.

"Congratulations to the Sony Music Publishing songwriter honorees—we are proud to champion your creativity as you continue to write the future of hip-hop and R&B," reads a quote from SMP EVP, Head of A&R, Walter Jones. "I also want to thank the BMI team for honoring our team and recognizing SMP’s songwriters for their many achievements."

You can find out even more about the event here.

“Here’s an incredible coincidence,” notes BMI President/CEO Mike O’Neill during this photo op with bona fide Icon Busta Rhymes. “In college, I was known as Busta Spreadsheet.” Seen just before the Miami Beach humidity reached 8,000 percent are (l-r) BMI’s Wardell Malloy and Catherine Brewton, Busta and O’Neill.