BMI celebrated songwriter, composer and producer David Foster at the 74th annual BMI/NAB Dinner held Tuesday (April 16) at Encore Las Vegas. The private event was sponsored by Xperi.
BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill presented Foster with the award, praising Foster’s “extraordinary creativity and the singular impact he’s made as a songwriter, a producer, an artist, a mentor and a philanthropist.” Foster joined BMI in 1978.
The annual BMI/NAB dinner recognizes the mutually supportive relationship between the songwriting community and the broadcast industry. Past recipients of the BMI honor include Paul Anka, John Fogerty, Graham Nash, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Mike Post, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Carrie Underwood and John Williams.
Following a video of career highlights, Foster performed. He was joined on stage by his wife, singer-actress Katharine McPhee, and classically trained vocalist Daniel Emmet.
Foster has received many accolades over the years, including 16 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy and three Oscar nods for best original song.
His Grammys include three wins for producer of the year (non-classical), three for album of the year and two for record of the year. He has won 11 of his 16 Grammys for producing, four for arranging and one for songwriting (his first Grammy, for co-writing Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1979 smash “After the Love Has Gone,” which was voted best R&B song). His other Grammys are for work with Jennifer Holliday (on the Dreamgirls cast album), Chicago, Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Michael Bublé.
His Emmy was for co-writing a song for The Concert for World Children’s Day, an ABC special in 2003. He has been nominated three times for outstanding music direction for those endlessly replayed Great Performances specials on PBS.
Foster was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010. He was honored as a BMI Icon the following year. He has won 42 BMI Awards and was named BMI pop songwriter of the year three times.
