Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Entertainment
EntertainmentHer SideHeroes

Mariah Carey Accepts Icon Award from BMI

Posted byBy ABS Contributor | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

BMI Gives Mariah Carey Icon Award for Songwriting

Mariah Carey has been considered an icon for many years but the BMI Urban Awards decided to give the diva some official recognition. She was awarded the BMI Icon Award  for her songwriting skills. Carey arrived to the event a fashionable hour late but she was grateful for the recognition.

“I’m so humbled by this moment because a lot of people still don’t know I write my own songs,” Carey said as she accepted her award. She also shared her excitement with E! News. “It’s so great,” she said to E! News. “I’ve been writing songs my whole life, I love it. It’s my favorite form of expression and release. Tonight’s not really about diva dramatics or gossipy moments, it’s about the music and that’s what’s important to me.”

Mariah also got praise from other guest including BMI President and CEO Del Bryant and musicians like rappers Mac Miller and Future. “To see how long her career has gone, you want to have a career. That’s what you call longevity. That’s what I want, a career – not just hits, a career,” Future told Hip Hop DX. Mac Miller was a bit blunter. “”Mariah’s a f*cking legend, yo. This is tight,” said Mac Miller. “I’m about to see Mariah Carey. That’s crazy. I can’t wait. Other well-wishers included Eric Benet and Fantasia. Jermaine Dupri also deejayed a set of some of Carey’s greatest hits.

The Young Money crew also took home a few awards. Drake and Lil Wayne, who were not present, shared an award for Songwriter of the Year while Nicki Minaj took home the Song of the Year award for “Super Bass.”

Another highlight of the awards included Nas taking the stage to perform hits like “Daughters” and “It Aint Hard to Tell.” Nas also honored the recently deceased Chris Lighty during his set.

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top