PAUL ANKA HONORED AS A BMI ICON AT THE 2026 BMI POP AWARDS
“luther” Named BMI Pop Song of the Year;
Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter Each Receive Songwriter of the Year;
Sony Music Publishing Honored as Publisher of the Year
Evening Also Celebrated the 50 Most-Performed Pop Songs of the Previous Year
(L-R) Michael Steinberg, EVP, Chief Revenue & Creative Officer, BMI, honoree Paul Anka, recipient of the BMI Icon Award, Barbara Cane, Vice President, Worldwide Creative and Advisor to the EVP, Creative & Licensing, and Todd Horvath, President & COO, BMI, attends the 2026 BMI Pop Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on May 12, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images for BMI)
BMI paid tribute to the best in songwriting at the 2026 BMI Pop Awards tonight at Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, California. Legendary songwriter Paul Anka received the BMI Icon Award honoring the trailblazer’s illustrious career, defined by remarkable longevity and versatility. In addition, BMI’s Pop Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Publisher of the Year and BMI’s top 50 most-performed pop songs in the U.S. of the previous year were also announced. The private event was hosted by BMI CEO Mike O’Neill; BMI EVP, Chief Revenue & Creative Officer Mike Steinberg; VP, Worldwide Creative Barbara Cane; VP, Creative, NY Samantha Cox and VP, Creative, LA Tracie Verlinde.
In presenting the BMI Icon Award, Steinberg deemed Anka “music royalty” and went on to say, “tonight, we offer you BMI’s highest honor to celebrate your incomparable catalog, your unmatched influence, and your legacy as one of the greatest hitmakers—and songwriters—of all time.”
After receiving the award, Anka thanked BMI and said, “I’ve been doing this a long time and to be among my own is the biggest kick. I don’t accept (this award) on an individual level, I’m going to accept it collectively in front of my brothers and sisters who do what I do. I share this with you.” He added, “The process that we are all enjoying is a process that starts with the song…. Always has been.” Anka then took to the stage for a captivating and intimate performance including a special rendition of his signature hit “My Way,” which brought the audience to their feet for a roaring standing ovation.
As the newest BMI Icon honoree, Anka joins an elite group of songwriters who have received BMI’s highest honor for their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” Previous recipients include Barry Manilow, The Bee Gees, Brian Wilson, Carlos Santana, Carole King, Crosby, Stills & Nash, David Foster, Dolly Parton, the Jacksons, John Fogerty, Kris Kristofferson, Mann & Weil, Merle Haggard, Nile Rodgers, Paul Simon, Stevie Nicks, Sting, Willie Nelson, Mike Stoller and Carole Bayer Sager among others.
Throughout the ceremony, the 50 most-performed pop songs of the previous year in the U.S. were also awarded, leading up to BMI’s Pop Song of the Year, which went to “luther” written and performed by Kendrick Lamar with BMI co-writers Matthew “MTech” Bernard, Atia “INK” Boggs, Sam Dew, Roselilah (BUMA), Mark “Sounwave” Spears and SZA. This smash hit landed at #2 on Billboard’s 2025 Year End Hot 100 Songs chart and made history for most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart at 23 weeks, surpassing the previous record of 22 weeks for Lamar’s own “Not Like Us.”
BMI’s Pop Songwriter of the Year was shared between Taylor Swift—marking her third consecutive and sixth career win in this category—and first-time recipient Sabrina Carpenter, for each writing six of the most-performed songs of the past year. Swift’s award-winners were “But Daddy I Love Him,” “Florida!!!,” “Guilty as Sin,” “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys,” “So Long, London,” and “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.” In addition to this coveted honor, Swift now has received 53 BMI Pop Awards, along with the BMI President’s Award in 2009 and the BMI Taylor Swift Award in 2016.
Carpenter’s award-winning hits, “Bed Chem,” “Busy Woman,” “Good Graces,” “Juno,” “Manchild,” and “Taste,” now bring her to a total of 11 BMI Awards. In an acceptance video, Carpenter thanked BMI saying, “I feel so privileged because storytelling is one of my favorite things and has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Songwriting is sort of like being in a relationship that continues to charm you and surprise you and humble you, so over the years I feel like I’ve learned so much about myself and about other people through writing, and it has been the biggest gift to me.”
Sony Music Publishing was named Publisher of the Year for representing 24 of the previous year’s most-performed songs, including “30 for 30” (Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Anthony “J.White Did It” White), “Abracadabra” (Lady Gaga, Andrew Watt), “Apple” (Noonie Bao [STIM], Linus “LotusIV” Wiklund [STIM]), “Bad Dreams” (Rocky Block, Julian Bunetta, Mikky Ekko, John Ryan, Sarah “Solly” Solovay, and Teddy Swims), “Ordinary” (Mags Duval, Cal Shapiro, Adam Yaron) and “Sailor Song” (Gigi Perez) to name just a few.
BMI also named 32 first-time Pop Award winners, including Philip Lawrence for co-writing “APT” by Rosé and Bruno Mars, Gigi Perez for writing her hit “Sailor Song,” Addison Rae for co-writing and performing “Diet Pepsi,” sombr for “back to friends” and “undressed,” Ravyn Lenae for co-writing her breakout track “Love Me Not,” and Mags Duval, Cal Shapiro and Adam Yaron for “Burning Down,” “Carry You Home” and “Ordinary,” performed by Alex Warren, among others..
For a full list of the 2026 honorees, please visit https://awards.bmi.com/show/pop-2026 and to join the conversation on social media, follow us @BMI and use #BMIPopAwards.
