BMI has long been more than just a performing rights organization—it’s a cornerstone of music’s creative ecosystem. For over 80 years, Broadcast Music, Inc. has championed the work of songwriters, composers, and music publishers, representing over 22.4 million works by more than 1.4 million music creators. Founded in 1939 with a groundbreaking open-door policy, BMI was the first to embrace the voices behind America’s musical roots—blues, jazz, country, and everything in between. Today, the music in its catalog spans every genre and consistently shows up in the year’s most-performed and highest-earning projects.
So when BMI names someone a BMI Icon, it’s no small nod—it’s a full-blown, career-defining honor. And this year, Atticus Ross is getting the call.
The Academy Award®, Golden Globe, and GRAMMY®-winning composer will be honored at the 41st Annual BMI Film, TV, and Visual Media Awards, set to take place May 14th in Beverly Hills. In a statement from the company, BMI’s Tracy McKnight shared that “Atticus Ross’ unique ability to merge innovative sounds with cinematic storytelling has left an indelible mark on the industry, and we’re thrilled to recognize his extraordinary talent and achievements with the BMI Icon Award.”
McKnight added that the awards will also celebrate “our BMI family of award-winning, distinguished composers, highlighting their excellence across music in film, TV and visual media.”
Ross’s résumé reads like a modern classics playlist for film and TV: The Social Network, Gone Girl, Waves, Soul, Watchmen, The Vietnam War, and most recently, FX’s Shōgun, just to name a few. His decades-long collaboration with Trent Reznor has shaped not just the sound of film scores, but the sound of a generation. Together, they’ve picked up two Oscars, a BAFTA, three Critics Choice Awards, three Golden Globes, and two GRAMMYs—not to mention a shelf’s worth of nominations.
But Ross’s work extends beyond that powerhouse partnership. Alongside his brother Leopold Ross and wife Claudia Sarne, he’s co-composed for projects like The Book of Eli, Triple 9, Black Mirror, and Dear Mama. The Shōgun score—created with Leopold and Nick Chuba—earned two Emmy nods and a GRAMMY nomination, further proof that Ross doesn’t miss.
Outside the scoring world, Ross is also a central force in Nine Inch Nails, having joined the band officially in 2016. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 and is slated to launch a sold-out global arena tour later this year. Oh, and just for good measure, they’re scoring Disney’s upcoming Tron: Ares—marking the first time Ross and Reznor will compose under the Nine Inch Nails banner.
If that wasn’t enough, the duo’s creative ventures now extend to a production company and music festival under the name With Teeth, further blurring the lines between composer, artist, and entrepreneur.
Ross has already taken home 19 BMI Awards for his scoring work, and now, with the BMI Icon title, he joins an elite roster of past recipients that includes legends like John Williams, Rachel Portman, Thomas Newman, and Terence Blanchard.
It’s official: Atticus Ross has become part of film and TV scoring royalty—and on May 14th, BMI will make it loud and clear.
