London, UK (Business Wire) - American music rights organization Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) saluted Europe’s premier songwriters, composers and music publishers tonight at its 2007 London Awards. Hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant, along with Executive Director, Writer/Publisher Relations Europe & Asia, Brandon Bakshi, the event was staged in the Grand Ballroom of London’s Dorchester Hotel. In addition to honoring the past year’s most-played songs on U.S. radio and television, the gala dinner and awards ceremony also recognized Peter Gabriel (PRS) as a BMI Icon for his “influence on generations of music makers.”

Gabriel, co-founder of rock band Genesis, left the group in 1975 to begin a critically acclaimed, Grammy Award-winning solo career. Thus far, he has released 11 albums featuring BMI million-performance songs and composed soundtracks for numerous films. An early participant in Human Rights Now! and recipient of the Nobel Peace Laureates’ “Man of Peace” Award, Peter Gabriel founded world human rights advocacy supergroup TheElders.org in July 2007, with Richard Branson and Nelson Mandela.