BMI Country Awards Honor Taylor Swift, Hank Williams Jr.

Prior to the CMA Awards, there were the 56th Annual BMI Country Awards, held on Tuesday, Nov. 11, in Nashville, celebrating the best in Country Music. The black-tie ceremony was hosted by BMI executives Del Bryant and Jody Williams and gave honors to the writers and publishers of the most-performed Country Music songs from the past year.Country Music songwriter Casey Beathard was bestowed the BMI Country Songwriter of the Year crown, his second, and “Teardrops on My Guitar,” written by Robert J. Burton and Taylor Swift, earned Song of the Year. Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville won the Country Publisher of the Year title, and a touching tribute to Hank Williams, Jr., also took place with performances from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gregg Allman, Robert Randolph and Kenny Chesney.A complete list of the 2008 BMI Country Awards winners can be found at www.bmi.com/country.