L to R: NAB’s President & CEO Curtis LeGeyt; NFL Network’s Rich Eisen accepts Television Hall of Fame Award for the NFL; BMI songwriter and Radio Hall of Fame inductee John Oates and BMI’s President & CEO Mike O’Neill at the BMI/NAB 75th Anniversary Dinner held at Encore Las Vegas on April 8, 2025. Photo Credit: Lester Cohen for BMI.
On Tuesday, April 9 at Encore in Las Vegas, BMI and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) held an induction ceremony for new members of the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame. According to a statement, "The event marked the end of BMI’s historic run hosting the dinner, with plans for NAB to continue the Hall of Fame tradition moving forward."
BMI singer-songwriter John Oates was honored for services in radio as part of the event. "The ceremony was a tribute to their profound impact on their respective industries, both shaping the media landscape and inspiring future generations," they said.
Oates' honor in full reads as follows:
Radio Hall of Fame Inductee: John Oates
John Oates was inducted into the NAB Radio Hall of Fame for his immense contributions to American radio as an acclaimed solo artist and the co-founder of Hall & Oates, the best-selling rock duo in music history. Oates’ timeless hit songs span five decades, transcend generations, and, as a cornerstone of American radio, remain in constant rotation across multiple radio formats.
John Oates: A Radio Legacy
- Enduring Influence: Oates has written and performed some of the most enduring pop and rock songs, many of which continue to be played daily on thousands of radio stations across the country. With Hall & Oates, he perfected a unique blend of rock, pop, R&B and soul that has had an indelible impact on millions of fans and creators.
- Recognition and Accolades: Over his illustrious career, Oates has been recognized with numerous industry honors and accolades, including the BMI Icon Award for his unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers and the BMI Troubadour Award, saluting his profound impact on the creative community for generations to follow. He’s also received 10 BMI Pop Awards and 30 BMI Million-Air Awards for his songs’ repeated airplay, solidifying his status as one of the most played songwriters in history. In addition, as a member of Hall & Oates, he has won numerous American Music and MTV awards, has multiple GRAMMY nominations, and was inducted into The Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- Ongoing Influence: Oates’ long-lasting success can be attributed to his ability to creatively evolve while maintaining his distinctive style that continues to engage listeners across multiple formats, solidifying his legacy as a hitmaker for generations to come.
In accepting the award, Oates thanked the NAB for the honor and talked about the importance of radio in his life, sharing that the music played on the stations he listened to growing up was “indelibly printed on my soul, my mind, and it’s the music that made me. I owe everything to radio.” He then performed six songs, including the Hall & Oates hits “Out of Touch” and “She’s Gone,” as well as his solo hits, including “Mending” and “Pushin’ a Rock.” Oates then treated guests with “A Ways Away,” an unreleased song from his forthcoming album slated for release later this year and ended the performance with a rousing rendition of the Ray Charles classic, “I Got A Woman.”
