Paul Anka received the BMI Icon Award at the 2026 BMI Pop Awards on Tuesday (May 12) at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. In presenting the award, Mike Steinberg, BMI executive vp, chief revenue & creative officer, deemed Anka “music royalty.”
“Tonight, we offer you BMI’s highest honor to celebrate your incomparable catalog, your unmatched influence, and your legacy as one of the greatest hitmakers — and songwriters — of all time,” Steinberg added.
Upon accepting the award, Anka said, “I’ve been doing this a long time and to be among my own is the biggest kick. I don’t accept (this award) on an individual level, I’m going to accept it collectively in front of my brothers and sisters who do what I do. I share this with you.” He added, “The process that we are all enjoying is a process that starts with the song…. Always has been.”
Anka then took to the stage for a performance which included “My Way.” Anka wrote the English lyric to the French ballad which in 1969 became one of Frank Sinatra’s signature songs.
Anka was just 15 — two weeks shy of 16 — in 1957 when he landed his first hit, “Dinah.” His many other hits, nearly all of which he wrote, include “Lonely Boy,” “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” and “(You’re) Having My Baby.”
Previous recipients of the BMI Icon Award include Barry Manilow, The Bee Gees, Brian Wilson, Carlos Santana, Carole King, Crosby, Stills & Nash, David Foster, Dolly Parton, the Jacksons, John Fogerty, Kris Kristofferson, Mann & Weil, Merle Haggard, Nile Rodgers, Paul Simon, Stevie Nicks, Sting, Willie Nelson, Mike Stoller and Carole Bayer Sager.
BMI’s Pop Song of the Year went to “luther,” written and performed by Kendrick Lamar with BMI co-writers Matthew “MTech” Bernard, Atia “INK” Boggs, Sam Dew, Roselilah (BUMA), Mark “Sounwave” Spears and SZA. This smash hit topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 consecutive weeks and went on to win a Grammy for record of the year.
BMI’s Pop Songwriter of the Year was shared between Taylor Swift — marking her third consecutive and sixth career win in this category — and first-time recipient Sabrina Carpenter, for each writing six of the most-performed songs of the past year. Swift’s award-winners were “But Daddy I Love Him,” “Florida!!!,” “Guilty as Sin?,” “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys,” “So Long, London,” and “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.” Swift now has received 53 BMI Pop Awards, along with the BMI President’s Award in 2009 and the BMI Taylor Swift Award in 2016.
Carpenter’s award-winning hits, “Bed Chem,” “Busy Woman,” “Good Graces,” “Juno,” “Manchild,” and “Taste,” now bring her to a total of 11 BMI Awards. In an acceptance video, Carpenter thanked BMI saying, “I feel so privileged because storytelling is one of my favorite things and has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Songwriting is sort of like being in a relationship that continues to charm you and surprise you and humble you, so over the years I feel like I’ve learned so much about myself and about other people through writing, and it has been the biggest gift to me.”
Sony Music Publishing was named Publisher of the Year for representing 24 of the previous year’s most-performed songs, including “30 for 30” (Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Anthony “J.White Did It” White), “Abracadabra” (Lady Gaga, Andrew Watt), “Apple” (Noonie Bao [STIM], Linus “LotusIV” Wiklund [STIM]), “Bad Dreams” (Rocky Block, Julian Bunetta, Mikky Ekko, John Ryan, Sarah “Solly” Solovay and Teddy Swims), “Ordinary” (Mags Duval, Cal Shapiro, Adam Yaron) and “Sailor Song” (Gigi Perez).
BMI also named 32 first-time Pop Award winners, including Philip Lawrence for co-writing “APT” by Rosé and Bruno Mars, Gigi Perez for writing her hit “Sailor Song,” Addison Rae for co-writing and performing “Diet Pepsi,” sombr for “back to friends” and “undressed,” Ravyn Lenae for co-writing her breakout track “Love Me Not,” and Mags Duval, Cal Shapiro and Adam Yaron for “Burning Down,” “Carry You Home” and “Ordinary,” performed by Alex Warren.
Throughout the ceremony, the 50 most-performed pop songs of the previous year in the U.S. were also awarded.
The private event was hosted by Steinberg and four other BMI executives: Mike O’Neill, CEO; Barbara Cane, vp, worldwide creative; Samantha Cox, vp, creative, NY; and Tracie Verlinde, vp, creative, LA.
For a full list of the 2026 honorees, visit the BMI site.
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