Lady Gaga, Jason Derulo, Lady Antebellum Win Big at BMI Pop Music Awards

Lady Gaga, Jason Derulo and JR Rotem were saluted as BMI's pop songwriters of the year Tuesday evening (May 17) at the organization's 59th annual Pop Music Awards. Earning pop song of the year honors was the Lady Antebellum hit "Need You Now," while Sony/ATV Songs LLC received the pop publisher of the year award.

In recognition of his "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers," songwriter/producer David Foster was named BMI Icon.

BMI president/CEO Del Bryant hosted the evening at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, along with BMI VP/GM, Los Angeles Barbara Cane and BMI senior VP, writer/publisher relations Phil Graham. In addition to the aforementioned honorees, the songwriters and publishers of the past year's 50 most-performed pop songs on U.S. radio and television were also honored.

Lady Gaga, Derulo and Rotem each placed four songs on that tally. Lady Gaga's credits include her hit songs "Alejandro," "Bad Romance," "Paparazzi" and "Telephone." Derulo and Rotem share writing credits on three Derulo songs ("In My Head," "Ridin' Solo" and "Whatcha Say") as well as Iyaz's "Replay."

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Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley wrote Lady Antebellum's crossover smash "Need You Now." Earlier this year, the song claimed Grammy Awards for both record and song of the year. Among the 16 songs that helped Sony/ATV claim publishing kudos are "In My Head," "Bad Romance," Beyoncé's "Sweet Dreams," Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" and Ke$ha's "Your Love Is My Drug."

Foster, who joins such Icon predecessors as John Fogerty, Gamble & Huff and Dolly Parton, is a 15-time Grammy Award winner and three-time BMI pop songwriter of the year who was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010. He has written and produced hits for such artists as Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Andrea Bocelli and Michael Bublé. Among those paying tribute to Foster during a special performance were Brian McKnight, Keri Hilson and Chaka Khan.