BMI has chosen Nashville hitmaker Lee Thomas Miller as its 2026 Songwriter Ambassador in Residence, a new role centered on supporting songwriters through both the creative and business sides of their careers.
Based out of BMI’s Nashville Creative office, the position reflects the organization’s continued focus on helping writers understand their value in an evolving music industry.
Miller’s year as ambassador will be highly visible. He’ll host a dedicated BMI Acoustic Lounge, lead BMI’s signature songwriter round at the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival, and perform at both the BMI Key West Songwriters Festival and the Annapolis Songwriters Festival.
He’ll also appear as a featured speaker at private BMI gatherings, including the Next Big Wave Mixer, and take part in BMI’s Catalog Cast, where he’ll speak with students from Belmont University, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), and Tennessee State University (TSU) during the spring semester. Alongside these appearances, BMI will offer financial-focused panels aimed at both emerging and established songwriters.
BMI Nashville Vice President of Creative Clay Bradley pointed to Miller’s three decades of experience as a key reason for the appointment, highlighting his ability to guide songwriters through a constantly changing industry and reinforce the importance of protecting their creative worth.
For Miller, the role is deeply personal. He signed with BMI in the late 1980s, when his earliest demos lived on inexpensive cassette tapes, and credits the organization as one of the few steady presences throughout his career.
Beyond songwriting, he has worked closely with BMI on copyright reform and songwriter protections, calling the ambassador role a reflection of the close-knit nature of the music community.
Advocacy has long been part of Miller’s career. In 2015, he received the inaugural BMI Champion Award for his work on behalf of music creators.
As President of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), he serves on its Legislative Committee, lobbying for songwriter rights—efforts that helped shape the Music Modernization Act, which updated how songwriters are compensated in the digital era.
Miller’s songwriting résumé is extensive. He has earned 13 BMI Awards, won CMA and ACM Song of the Year for Jamey Johnson’s “In Color,” and took home CMA Single of the Year for Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This.”
His catalog includes seven No. 1 hits, 18 Top 20 singles, more than 25 million radio spins, over 100 million streams, and three GRAMMY nominations.
Recent releases include co-writes on Scotty McCreery’s “It Matters To Her,” Hailey Whitters’ “I’m In Love,” Bryan Martin’s “My Old Man,” and Brandon Heath’s “The Ache.” Upcoming cuts are slated for artists such as Parker McCollum, Jason Aldean, Brothers Osborne, Kelsey Hart, and Kashus Culpepper.
After moving to Nashville in 1991, Miller signed his first publishing deal in 1996 and has remained a consistent presence on country radio ever since. His new role with BMI places him in a position to share that hard-earned perspective with the next generation of songwriters.
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