BMI Icon Awards

BMI Awards: 2002-2026

BMI is an organization which collects royalties on behalf of artists. It gives out annual awards to artists in various categories, including country, Latin, London, pop, and urban (later changed to R&B/hip-hop), in honor of what the website calls a songwriter’s “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” While these awards are generally referred to as BMI Icon Awards, there are other times references are made to BMI President’s Awards and there is also the BMI Champions Award. Whether these represent different criteria is anyone’s guess due to the failure of the BMI site to make details clear on these awards. It isn’t even clear when the awards were started, although the earliest awards found were for 2002. Because of the lack of an easy-access list at BMI or anywhere else, this list has been cobbled together as best as possible but there are bound to be omissions. See other lifetime achievement awards. Bill Anderson (country icon: 2002) Paul Anka (pop icon) David Arnold (film/TV) Babyface (urban icon: 2006) Banda el Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga (Latin icon: 2013) Martin Bandier (pop icon: 2019) Ana Bárbara (Latin) John Barry (film/TV) The Bee Gees (pop icon: 2007) Matraca Berg (country icon) Chuck Berry (pop icon: 2002) Birdman (R&B/hip-hop icon: 2013) Clint Black (country icon) Don Black (London, 2010) Terence Blanchard (film/TV) Bobby Braddock (country icon: 2011) Brandy (R&B/hip-hop President’s Award: 2019) Toni Braxton (R&B/hip-hop President’s Award: 2016) James Brown (urban icon: 2002) Busta Rhymes (R&B/hip-hop) Mariah Carey (urban icon: 2012) Mariah Carey receives BMI Icon award, image from rollingstone.com Steven Curtis Chapman (Christian icon) Kenny Chesney (country icon: 2016) George Clinton (urban icon: 2009) George S. Clinton (film/TV) Steve Cropper (country icon: 2018) Crosby, Stills & Nash (pop icon: 2006) Charlie Daniels (country icon: 2005) Mychael Danna (film/TV) Ray Davies (London icon: 2006) Mac Davis (country icon: 2015) Alexandre Desplat (film/TV) Bo Diddley (pop icon: 2002) Dean Dillon (country icon: 2013) Bob DiPiero (country icon: 2017) Ramin Diawadi (film/TV) Donovan (London icon: 2009) Lamont Dozier (pop icon: 2003) Randy Edelman (film/TV) Danny Elfman (film/TV) Gloria Estefan (Latin icon: 2009) Gloria Estefan receives BMI Icon award, image from gettyimages.com Bryan Ferry (London icon: 2008) John Fogerty (pop icon: 2010) Luis Fonsi (Latin President’s Award: 2018) David Foster (pop icon: 2011) Charles Fox (film/TV) Peter Gabriel (London icon: 2007) Noel Gallagher (London: President’s Award, 2019) Kenneth Gamble (pop icon: 2009) The Gap Band (urban icon: 2005) Sergio George (Latin: President’s Award, 2015) Vince Gill (country icon: 2014) Jerry Goldsmith (film/TV) Graham Gouldman (London icon: 2015) Al Green (urban icon: 2004) Harry Gregson-Williams (London icon: 2018, film/TV) Dave Grusin (film/TV) Juan Luis Guerra (Latin icon: 2006) Earle Hagen (film/TV) Merle Haggard (country icon: 2006) Daryl Hall & John Oates (pop icon: 2008) Tom T. Hall (country icon: 2012) Isaac Hayes (urban icon: 2003) Brian Holland (pop icon: 2003) Eddie Holland (pop icon: 2003) James Newton Howard (film/TV) Leon Huff (pop icon: 2009) Imagine Dragons (pop President’s Award: 2019) The Jackson 5/The Jacksons (urban icon: 2008) Janet Jackson (R&B/hip-hop President’s Award: 2018) Janet Jackson receives BMI Icon award, image from billboard.com Juanes (Latin President’s Award: 2010) Michael Kamen (film/TV) Jay Kay (London President’s Award: 2017) Toby Keith (country icon) Gary Kemp (London icon) Rolfe Kent (film/TV) Carole King (pop icon: 2012) Kris Kristofferson (country icon: 2009) Patti LaBelle (R&B/hip-hop icon: 2017) Mario Quintero Lara (Latin President’s Award: 2019) Christopher Lennertz (film/TV) Adam Levine (pop President’s Award: 2013) Lil Wayne (R&B/hip-hop icon) Little Richard (pop icon: 2002) Los Lobos (Latin icon: 2016) Los Tigres Del Norte (Latin icon: 2007) Ludacris (R&B/hip-hop President’s Award: 2014) John Lydon (London icon: 2013) Graham Lyle (London icon) Loretta Lynn (country icon: 2004) Barry Manilow (pop icon: 2017) Barry Mann (pop icon: 2016) Cliff Martinez (film/TV) Alan Menken (film/TV) Van Morrison (London icon: 2004) Mark Mothersbaugh (film/TV) Willie Nelson (country icon: 2007) Willie Nelson receives BMI Icon award, image from CBS News David Newman (film/TV) Thomas Newman (film/TV) Stevie Nicks (pop icon: 2014) Randy Owen (country icon) Dolly Parton (country icon: 2003) Pink (pop President’s Award: 2015) Pitbull (Latin President’s Award: 2012) Rachel Portman (film/TV) Mike Post (film/TV) Queen (London icon: 2011) Antonio “L.A.” Reid (urban icon: 2006) Tim Rice (London icon: 2014) Nile Rodgers (R&B/hip-hop icon: 2015) Mark Ronson (pop Champion Award: 2018) Atticus Ross (film/TV) Carole Bayer Sager (pop icon) Carlos Santana (Latin icon: 2005) Kike Santander (Latin President’s Award: 2011) Gustavo Santaolalla (Latin icon: 2008) Theodore Shapiro (film/TV) Richard Sherman (film/TV) Robert Sherman (film/TV) Billy Sherrill (country icon: 2010) Alan Silvestri (film/TV) Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons (urban icon: 2007) Paul Simon (pop icon: 2005) Slim (R&B/hip-hop icon: 2013) Snoop Dogg (urban icon: 2011) Sting (London icon: 2016) Sting receives BMI Icon award, image from udiscovermusic.com Mike Stoller (pop icon) Taylor Swift (pop President’s Award: 2016) Gloria Trevi (Latin President’s Award: 2016) Brian Tyler (film/TV) Carlos Vives (Latin President’s Award: 2014) W.G. Snuffy Walden (film/TV) Cynthia Weil (pop icon: 2016) Hank Williams Jr. (country icon: 2008) John Williams (film/TV) Patrick Williams (film/TV) Brian Wilson (pop icon: 2004) Steve Winwood (London icon: 2005) Wisin y Yandel (Latin President’s Award: 2020) Dwight Yoakam (country President’s Award: 2019) Christopher Young (film/TV) Hans Zimmer (film/TV) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Lifetime Achievement Awards” BMI.com BMI Icon Recipients (list and categories only) BMI.com BMI Country Awards BMI.com BMI Latin Awards BMI.com BMI London Awards BMI.com BMI Pop Awards BMI.com BMI Urban Awards First posted 3/30/2017; last updated 6/7/2026.

United States Postage Stamps: Music-Related

United States Postage Stamps: Music-Related (1940-2022)

Originally this post was regarding the Legends of American Music Series, the first of which was issued on January 8, 1993, on what would have been Elvis Presley’s 58th birthday. More than 70 artists were honored in all styles of music from 1993 to 1999. Since then, this page has been updated with other music makers who have been honored with stamps through 2022. See other lifetime achievement awards. A-B-C Roy Acuff (2003) Marian Anderson (2005) Harold Arlen (1996) Louis Armstrong (1995) Mildred Bailey (1994) Samuel Barber (1997) Count Basie (1996) The Beatles (1999) Jack Benny (1991) Irving Berlin (2003) Leonard Bernstein (2001) Eubie Blake (1995) Hoagy Carmichael (1996) The Carter Family (1993) Enrico Caruso (1987) Johnny Cash (2013) Ray Charles (2013) Patsy Cline (1993) Nat “King” Cole (1994) John Coltrane (1995) Bing Crosby (1994) Celia Cruz (2011) D-E-F-G Miles Davis (2012) Jimmy Dorsey (1996) Tommy Dorsey (1996) Duke Ellington (1986) Arthur Fiedler (1997) Dorothy Fields (1996) Ella Fitzgerald (2007) Stephen Foster (1940) Carlos Gardel (2011) Erroll Garner (1995) George Gershwin (1973) Ira Gershwin (1999) Benny Goodman (1996) Louis Gottschalk (1997) Ferde Grofé (1997) Woody Guthrie (1998) H-I-J Bill Haley & His Comets (1993) Oscar Hammerstein II (1999) W.C. Handy (1969) E.Y. “Yip” Harburg (2005) William Harnett (1969) Lorenz Hart (1999) Coleman Hawkins (1995) Jimi Hendrix (2014) Victor Herbert (1940) Bernhard Herrmann (1999) Gregory Hines (2019) Billie Holiday (1994) Buddy Holly & the Crickets (1993) Howlin’ Wolf (1994) Charles Ives (1997) Mahalia Jackson (1998) James P. Johnson (1995) James W. Johnson (1988) Robert Johnson (1994) Al Jolson (1994) Janis Joplin (2014) Scott Joplin (1983) K-L-M Jerome Kern (1985) Erich Korngold (1999) Sidney Lanier (1972) Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter (1998) John Lennon (2018) Alan Jay Lerner (1999) Frank Loesser (1999) Frederick Loewe (1999) Edward MacDowell (1940) Henry Mancini (2004) Roberta Martin (1998) John McCormack (1984) Clyde McPhatter (1993) Lydia Mendoza (2013) Johnny Mercer (1996) Ethel Merman (1994) Glenn Miller (1996) Charles Mingus (1995) Carmen Miranda (2011) Thelonious Monk (1995) Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton (1995) N-O-P Ethelbert Nevin (1940) Alfred Newman (1999) Eugene Ormandy (1997) Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1960) Charlie Parker (1995) Edith Piaf (2012) Lily Pons (1997) Rosa Ponselle (1997) Cole Porter (1991) Elvis Presley (1993) Tito Puente (2011) Q-R-S Ma Rainey (1994) Otis Redding (1993) Jimmie Rodgers (1978) Richard Rodgers (1999) Jimmy Rushing (1994) Pete Seeger (2022) Selena (2011) Frank Sinatra (2008) Bessie Smith (1994) Kate Smith (2010) John Philip Sousa (1940) Max Steiner (1999) Leopold Stokowski (1997) Igor Stravinsky (1982) George Szell (1997) T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z Shirley Temple (2016) Sonny Terry (1998) Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1998) Lawrence Tibbett (1997) Arturo Toscanini (1989) Richards Tucker (1997) Ritchie Valens (1993) Clara Ward & the Ward Singers (1998) Dinah Washington (1993) Ethel Waters (1994) Muddy Waters (1994) Josh White (1998) Hank Williams (1993) Bob Wills (1993) Meredith Willson (1999) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Lifetime Achievement Awards” blog-stampofapproval.com (12/12/2012). “New Music Icons Series of Stamps Debuts in Early 2013 With Lydia Mendoza” mysticstamp.com: 1993-99 Legends of American Music Series today.com (1/30/2013). “Johnny Cash leaves his stamp on US Postal Service” by Matt Murray usstampgallery.com (2022). music-related stamps First posted 1/30/2013; last updated 6/2/2026.