Three auspicious but sonically distinct Nashville bands - The Features, Heypenny, and Protomen - recently earned coveted career boosts: They will all perform at the 2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival as part of "The Road To Bonnaroo" competition sponsored by BMI, Mercy Lounge, and Budweiser Select.

Ultimately, in addition to promoting Nashville’s next crop of fresh faces, "The Road to Bonnaroo" competition celebrates Music City’s flourishing rock community, buoyed by high-profile resident and ordained rock beacon Jack White, the success of bands including Kings of Leon, Paramore, and American Bang, and a thriving pop scene led by Ben Folds and indie coalition Ten Out of Tenn.  Not surprisingly, a recent study reported by The Atlantic revealed that a higher concentration of musicians work and reside in Nashville than either Los Angeles or New York City.

BMI’s involvement underscores the organization’s vital role as an early career counselor and support system for aspiring songwriters and bands. As an initial point of contact for green artists, BMI serves as a fundamental bridge, connecting promising talent with industry decision-makers, as well as invaluable opportunities, including performance slots on stages at SXSW, the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Lollapalooza, and of course, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

"The Road To Bonnaroo" winners perform on Friday evening, June 12, onstage in the Troo Music Tent:

Heypenny, 5:20 pm-6:10 pm www.myspace.com/heypenny

Heypenny offer quirky pop-rock, driven by sanguine harmonies and punchy melodies.

The Features, 6:40 pm-7:30 pm www.myspace.com/thefeatures

With winking bravado, The Features pivot between robust rock ‘n’ roll and magnetic power-pop.

The Protomen, 11:30 pm-12:30 am www.myspace.com/theprotomen

The apocalyptic Protomen wield a dramatic fusion of progressive and classic rock ‘n’ roll.

Dubbed “The Road to Bonnaroo,” the competition took place over the course of three shows —March 23, April 20 and May 18— at Nashville hot-spot The Mercy Lounge's Monday night series, "8 off 8th". As the live-action litmus test, eight bands performed three-song sets during each installment of the series. To select the evening’s top contender, an industry panel comprising local music journalists, bloggers, and 8 off 8^th hosts contributed one half of the verdict, while fan-voting through onsite ballots determined the other half.

Strength of Nashville rock scene revealed in 'Road to Bonnaroo' contest

During the final evening of competition, the fan vote was decidedly split between Heypenny and the new-spin funk of Space Capone. Industry judges broke the tie, but Space Capone’s soulful resonance won’t go unrewarded: the acclaimed troupe will receive 300 records, pressed by historic United Record Pressing (URP). The largest vinyl pressing company in the United States, URP pressed the Beatles’ first 7” in America, along with many of the Motown classics. Today, the company presses records for trendsetters including Animal Collective, Dead Weather, Vampire Weekend, Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, M.I.A., Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Cat Power, Erykah Badu, Mgmt, Lil Wayne, Andrew Bird and Elvis Perkins.

The Road to Bonnaroo runs through 2010, picking up where its inaugural year left off, with one more slot up for grabs. The contest, sponsored by BMI, Mercy Lounge, Yuengling, Camping World, and the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, will feature 32 bands with Nashville ties vying for four slots at Bonnaroo 2010, slated for June 10-13, in Manchester, Tennessee. The Road to Bonnaroo will take place over four designated nights of BMI’s free 8 off 8^th showcase, with eight bands performing each night. Venue partner Mercy Lounge will host the live action litmus tests, slated for February 22, March 22, April 19 and May 17.

To select each evening’s top contender, an industry panel comprising local music journalists, bloggers, and 8 off 8th hosts will contribute one half of the verdict, while fan-voting through onsite ballots will determine the other half.

The 32 finalists for the 2010 Road to Bonnaroo competition are:

Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), the U.S. performing right organization that represents over 475,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers, is proud to present the performers on its 2011 Lollapalooza stage. Running August 5, 6, & 7 at Grant Park’s Hutchinson Field in Chicago, IL, BMI’s stage will kick off performances at 12:00 p.m. each day, setting the pace at the mammoth music festival.

Festival-goers seeking an eclectic lineup and a bucolic respite from the Chicago heat flock to the BMI Lollapalooza stage, known for emitting disco-dunked sounds, acoustic balladry, and pop-rock rhapsodies from a slew of singer/songwriting acts. Performers on this year’s BMI stage range from the swaggering attitude of The Pretty Reckless to the Aussie exports Boy & Bear; the genre-jumping of The Chain Gang of 1974; and the expressiveness of siren Christina Perri. The lineup will provide a blend of sounds, reflecting Lollapalooza’s wide-ranging approach in offering attendees performances that are unique and remarkable.

Below is the schedule for the BMI-sponsored Lollapalooza stage:

Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the leading global music rights organization, presented Sir Paul McCartney with a BMI Million-Air Award to honor over 4 million U.S. broadcast performances of his James Bond film song, “Live and Let Die.” The designation has been bestowed on many of BMI’s iconic songwriters, including Dolly Parton, Isaac Hayes and Roy Orbison. Sir Paul McCartney has received a staggering 75 BMI Million-Air Awards throughout his career, including one for achieving 5 million U.S. plays for The Beatles’ “Yesterday” in 1988, which now surpasses an awe-inspiring 9 million count.“Sir Paul McCartney’s recognition emphasizes BMI’s commitment to celebrating and bringing value to music,” said BMI President & CEO Del Bryant. “‘Live and Let Die’ shows the incredible magnitude and cultural impact of a single song, both as a musical composition and an integral piece of cinematic history.”In similar stride to Sir Paul McCartney, recent BMI London Awards Song of the Year writer Adele debuted “Skyfall” last week, the premier track for upcoming Bond film of the same name. The song was recorded in London’s Abbey Road studios, a thematic tie that continues BMI’s historic role as a driving force in music and pop culture.BMI’s Executive Director, Writer/Publisher Relations Brandon Bakshi (right) presents Sir Paul McCartney with a BMI Million-Air Award for his song “Live and Let Die” before the 2012 BMI London Awards. The iconic James Bond theme has racked up over 4 million performances.

Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the global leader in music rights management, honored its Country Songwriter, Song and Publisher of the Year at the 60th annual BMI Country Awards held at the company’s Nashville, TN building. Also saluted were the writers and publishers of the past year’s 50 most-performed songs on radio and TV from BMI’s country repertoire. In addition, the incredible songwriting career of Tom T. Hall was celebrated by naming him a BMI Icon.

Hall joins other BMI Icons who have had “a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers” including Billy Sherrill, John Fogerty, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Isaac Hayes, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, the Bee Gees, Bobby Braddock, Bill Anderson, Ray Davies, James Brown and more.

10 of the top 20 most-performed works in the U.S. from BMI’s repertoire were country songs in 2011, accounting for more than 11 million radio and TV performances alone. If each performance were played back to back, the total time spent listening would be the equivalent of 66 consecutive years, underscoring the staggering volume of country music represented by BMI on the airwaves. Country music has achieved overwhelming success in the mainstream marketplace, and claims more terrestrial radio towers than any other format in the U.S.

Dallas Davidson and Luke Laird shared the Songwriter of the Year crown contributing five songs each to the year’s most-performed list. Davidson is the writer behind hits “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” and “I Don’t Want This Night to End” recorded by Luke Bryan; “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” by Justin Moore; and “Just a Kiss” and “We Owned the Night” recorded by Lady Antebellum. Laird penned smashes “A Little Bit Stronger” by Sara Evans; “Baggage Claim” by Miranda Lambert; “Drink in My Hand” by Eric Church; “You” by Chris Young; and “Take a Back Road,” recorded by Rodney Atkins.

“Take a Back Road,” which Laird wrote with fellow BMI songwriter Rhett Akins, was named Song of the Year. Published by EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. and Universal Music Careers, the smash earned more than one million performances in 2011 alone, making it one of the most-performed songs of the year in any genre of music.

Publisher of the Year award was given to Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville. The powerhouse published 24 songs on the year’s most-performed list, including “Take a Back Road”; Taylor Swift’s “Mean”; Kenny Chesney’s “Live a Little”; Eli Young Band’s “Crazy Girl”; Keith Urban’s “You Gonna Fly”; The Band Perry’s “All Your Life”; Blake Shelton’s “Honey Bee”; and more.

The night’s powerful musical tribute to Tom T. Hall featured recent chart-toppers The Avett Brothers, who took the stage to deliver “That's How I Got To Memphis”;  bluegrass power duo Dailey & Vincent, who performed “Can You Hear Me Now”;  prodigal son Justin Townes Earle, who sang ‘Homecoming”; and superstar Toby Keith who sang “Faster Horses (The Cowboy And The Poet)” accompanied by Scotty Emerick.

As a recording artist, Hall had seven No. 1 singles, all self-penned: “A Week in a Country Jail” (1969–70), “The Year That Clayton Delaney Died” (1971),“(Old Dogs, Children and) Watermelon Wine” (1972–73),” “I Love” (1973–74), “Country Is” (1974), “I Care” (1974–75), and “Faster Horses (the Cowboy and the Poet)” (1976). The Grammy winner also wrote mega hits for others, including “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” which Jeannie C. Riley took to No. 1 on country and pop charts in 1968, as well as “The Pool Shark,” a chart-topper for Dave Dudley; “(Margie’s at) the Lincoln Park Inn" and “That’s How I Got to Memphis,” recorded by Bobby Bare; and “Little Bitty,” by no means a little bitty hit for Alan Jackson in the late 1990s. In total, Hall has earned a staggering 31 BMI Awards for songwriting spanning country and pop genres, and six of his songs have accumulated more than one million performances each. In 2008, he was welcomed into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

“Tom T. Hall’s outstanding contributions of expertly crafted songs earned him the nickname “The Storyteller,” and as his songs have transitioned through traditional broadcasts and digital mediums, BMI has been proud to make that journey with him every step of the way, said BMI President & CEO Del Bryant. “Tom T. is the perfect example of why BMI’s determination and commitment to safeguard the value of music is so important.”

BMI represents the finest talent from Nashville and around the world, including Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, The Band Perry, Zac Brown Band, Lee Brice, Hunter Hayes, and Little Big Town, as well as countless other superstars. The 2011 Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association and CMT awards pointed to BMI’s unequaled clout in the country format, as BMI members took home 89%, 76% and 83% of the hardware presented in those ceremonies, respectively.

As steward of the world’s most diverse, in-demand musical repertoire, BMI is determined to continue fostering talent, educating and building awareness of the value of music in the entertainment industry and beyond.

Celebrating its fifth year as Nashville’s most heated and entertaining band competition, the Road to Bonnaroo contest, co-sponsored by BMI, Mercy Lounge, Yuengling, Nashville Scene, and the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, will pit 24 bands with Nashville ties head-to-head for three coveted slots at the 2013 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, slated for June 13-16 in Manchester, Tennessee. The Road to Bonnaroo will take place over three designated nights of BMI’s free 8 off 8th showcase, with eight bands performing each night. Venue partner Mercy Lounge will host the live-action litmus tests, scheduled for February 25, March 25, and April 15.To select each evening’s top contender, an industry panel comprising local music journalists, bloggers, and 8 off 8th hosts will contribute one half of the verdict, while fan voting through onsite ballots will determine the other half.The first round of finalists for round one of the 2013 Road to Bonnaroo competition will be announced on January 21, 2013.Fly Golden Eagle, Wild Cub, and By Lightning! claimed last year’s slots. Ultimately, in addition to promoting the town’s next crop of fresh faces, The Road to Bonnaroo competition uniquely celebrates the city’s homegrown and transplanted indie sounds—and thrusts the freshest faces, ready for their close-ups, out of the roost.Check out photos and video from last years competition on BMI.com/bonnaroo.