Swift wins songwriting honor, Kristofferson recognized

Swift was also honored with BMI's Song of the Year award in 2008 for Teardrops On My Guitar, becoming the youngest songwriter in any genre to win the honor. She is the first female songwriter in history to win back-to-back BMI Song of the Year awards, in any genre.

The ceremony also honored Kris Kristofferson as a BMI Icon. Patty Griffin, Vince Gill and Willie Nelson participated in a tribute to Kristofferson. With four songs among the year's most-performed, Bobby Pinson earned the Songwriter of the Year crown. In addition to co-writing Sugarland's chart-toppers All I Want to Do and Already Gone, Pinson co-composed Toby Keith's poignant She Never Cried in Front of Me, and Josh Gracin's nostalgic We Weren't Crazy. The win marks the first Songwriter of the Year crown for Pinson.

Publishing giant Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville earned its eighth consecutive BMI Country Publisher of the Year title. Through its subsidiary companies Sony/ATV Acuff Rose and Sony/ATV Tree, the company placed 14 songs among the year's top 50, including Jimmy Wayne's Do You Believe Me Now, Billy Currington's Don't, Keith Urban's You Look Good in My Shirt, George Strait's Troubadour and River of Love, Miranda Lambert's Gunpowder & Lead, and Swift's Love Story, Picture to Burn, and Should've Said No.

BMI President & CEO Del Bryant saluted Brooks and Dunn with the BMI President's Award. An honor presented only when an artist has distinctly and profoundly influenced the music industry, the award celebrates Brooks & Dunn's two decades in country, which has made them the most-awarded artists in Academy of Country Music or Country Music Association history.

The 2009 BMI Country Awards also honored songwriters Jeffrey Steele and Lee Thomas Miller, who both added 3 songs to the top 50 most-performed list, as well as Toby Keith, Sugarland's Kristian Bush, Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, Phil O'Donnell, Jim Beavers, Brett Beavers, James Otto, Clint Daniels, and Dallas Davidson, who each contributed two compositions to the year's top 50.