For over 80 years, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) has been advocating for the people who keep our playlists alive. The organization represents the public performance rights of more than 1.4 million songwriters, composers, and music publishers, covering a staggering 22.4 million musical works. Since its founding in 1939, BMI has prided itself on championing music creators across every genre, from jazz and country to pop and hip-hop. In short: if you’ve ever hummed along to anything, BMI probably had something to do with it.
This May, at its annual Pop Awards in Beverly Hills, BMI will honor Benson Boone—a young artist whose rise has been nothing short of meteoric—with the BMI Champion Award.
Held on May 13 at the Beverly Wilshire, the 2025 Pop Awards will celebrate Boone’s impressive trajectory as a singer, songwriter, and global hitmaker. According to a statement from BMI, the Champion Award is given to artists who “support the next generation of songwriters and music makers.” Boone joins the ranks of previous recipients including SZA, Khalid, Mark Ronson, and Peso Pluma—not bad company for someone who was posting covers on social media just a few short years ago.
“Benson Boone has reshaped the global soundscape of culture and music with an indomitable spirit and love of craft, artistry, and performance,” said Barbara Cane, BMI’s VP of Worldwide Creative. “As one of today’s most exciting hitmakers, Benson inspires through his honest storytelling which is ignited by his passion and authenticity.”
In other words, this guy’s not just making bops—he’s making an impact.
Boone’s breakthrough came in 2022 with “GHOST TOWN,” a slow-burning single that earned him his first RIAA Gold certification and an early BMI Pop Award. But 2024 was the year things exploded. His debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, featured the now-iconic “Beautiful Things,” a 7x-Platinum single that climbed to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, spent seven weeks atop the Billboard Global 200, and became the most-streamed song on Earth last year. (No pressure, next single.)
Add to that a sold-out global headline tour, sets at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, a slot opening for Taylor Swift in London, and a surprise performance with Lana Del Rey—and you’ve got an artist who’s not just rising, but orbiting.
The industry has taken notice. Boone has racked up a GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist, an iHeartRadio Music Award, MTV VMA and EMA wins, two NRJ Music Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, and three BRIT Award nominations—all before releasing his second full-length album, which is expected this summer. His latest single, “Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else,” is already making waves, and with nearly 10 billion career streams, Boone is clearly just getting started.
So yes, BMI Champion is a well-earned title. It turns out, when you're soundtracking half the world’s emotional breakdowns and dance parties, people notice.
To follow updates on the 2025 BMI Pop Awards, visit bmi.com/genres/pop and join the conversation using #BMIPopAwards.
