Khalid Named BMI Champion

• BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) is excited to announce that global superstar Khalid will be honored with the BMI Champion Award at the 71st Annual BMI Pop Awards. The multi-platinum-selling recording artist and songwriter will be celebrated for his exceptional artistry and philanthropic efforts which have touched the lives of many. BMI’s Pop Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Publisher of the Year and BMI’s top 50 most-performed pop songs in the U.S. of the previous year will also be named. The private event, hosted by BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill and Vice President Worldwide Creative Barbara Cane, will be held Tuesday, May 9 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Khalid first exploded onto the scene in 2017 when his first single, “Location,” hit the charts, right before his high school graduation. The massive hit from his 4x platinum debut album American Teen went on to be certified diamond by the RIAA in 2022. In 2019, Khalid released his sophomore LP, Free Spirit, with the lead single “Talk” becoming his fifth top 10 hit and the highest-charting single as a solo artist in the US, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and named 2019 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year. Khalid was also named 2019 BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year and made the list of TIME‘s Most Influential People of 2019.

“Khalid exemplifies the true spirit of a Champion as one who believes, one who does and one who generously gives back,” said Cane. “In addition to recognizing him for his many creative accomplishments, we’re honoring Khalid for his dedication to charitable causes, community, education, and his commitment to supporting the next generation of songwriters and music makers. We’re looking forward to celebrating our BMI family of award-winning songwriters and publishers with a fantastic night of music.”