BMI Urban Music Awards 2009

Keri Hilson, LeToya Luckett, Rick Ross, Adrienne Bailon, Estelle, Melody Thornton, Mario, and more were on hand to help BMI salute hip-hop and R&B’s leading songwriters, producers, and publishers at its annual Urban Awards on Thursday (Sept. 10) at Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City.

Hip-hop titans T-Pain and Lil Wayne shared the Songwriter of the Year prize, while Polow Da Don and Kanye West both earned Producer of the Year titles.

Bootsy Collins, Big Boi, Janelle Monáe, Dallas Austin, and Big Gipp paid musical tribute to BMI Icon Award recipient George Clinton.