"Every journey has a beginning, a middle and an end ... Don't let anyone dictate your time or how fast you get to the finish line. Let yourself be your own time measurement." So noted an ebullient T-Pain, who drew boisterous cheers and applause while accepting the prestigious BMI President's Award at the organization's 2025 R&B/Hip-Hop Awards last evening (8/28).
Before a packed ballroom inside Los Angeles' Fairmont Century Plaza, GloRilla received BMI's other special honor, the Impact Award. "Keep your foot on the gas," she remarked before adding, "Don't let anyone tell y'all what you can't do because a lot of people told me what I can't do."
GloRilla was also named BMI's R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter of the Year in a three-way tie with Tay Keith and Mike Dean. Each of them co-wrote three of BMI's 35 most-performed songs of the year: GloRilla ("TGIF," "Wanna Be," "Yeah Glo!"), Dean ("One of the Girls," "Popular," "Type Shit") and Keith ("First Person Shooter," "Get It Sexyy," "MELTDOWN").
Hosted by BMI's executive vp/chief revenue & creative officer Mike Steinberg and Catherine Brewton, vp, creative, Atlanta, the annual R&B/hip-hop ceremony bestowed additional major awards. Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," whose writers include Lamar, Sean Momberger, Sounwave and the late Ray Charles, was crowned Song of the Year. Sounwave was also named Producer of the Year for "Not Like Us" plus his credits on Taylor Swift's Lover and Midnights and Beyoncé's The Lion King: The Gift and Cowboy Carter, among other projects. Momberger, Carter Lang, Metro Boomin and MTech were also recognized as top producers during the ceremony.
Sony Music Publishing was honored as Publisher of the Year for representing 23 of last year's most-performed songs. That list includes "Agora Hills," "Not Like Us," "MILLION DOLLAR BABY," "Mmhmm," "On My Mama," and "Saturn."
BigXthaPlug, who took home a BMI Award for "Mmhmm," which he performed after opening the festivities with his hit "The Largest." Fellow rapper BossMan Dlow performed his BMI Award-winning song "Get In with Me" as well as "Mr. Pot Scraper." In a segment called "Know Them Now," BMI shined a spotlight on three emerging artists who also performed: Eli Derby ("Cadillac Dream"), TA Thomas ("Preach") and Lekan ("Always").
During his acceptance speech, T-Pain -- bedecked in a natty flowered suit -- also proclaimed he was "40 days sober right now" to another chorus of cheers. A BMI member since 2005, he's won 28 BMI Awards (including three Songwriter of the Year statuettes) and joins prior President's Award honorees such as benny blanco, P!nk, Willie Nelson and Taylor Swift. GloRilla, recipient of the Powerhouse Award at Billboard's 2025 Women in Music, joined BMI in 2019 and is a five-time BMI Award winner. Her prior fellow Impact Award honorees include Ice Spice, Edgar Barrera, RAYE and Tems.
Also of note: 71 first-time winners were among the honorees at BMI's 2025 R&B/Hip-Hop Awards. See a complete list of honorees HERE.
