Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter win top songwriting honour at BMI Awards

Singers Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter emerged among the biggest winners at the 2026 BMI Pop Awards, sharing the Songwriter of the Year honour during the ceremony held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills on May 12. The annual event celebrated the songwriters and tracks that shaped pop music over the past year.

For Swift, the latest recognition marked another major achievement in her songwriting career. The singer secured the BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year title for the third consecutive year and the sixth time overall. Carpenter, meanwhile, received the honour for the first time following the commercial success of her Short n’ Sweet era.

Which songs earned Taylor Swift the BMI honour?

BMI recognised Swift for six of the most-played songs in the United States over the past year. The list included But Daddy I Love Him, Florida!!!, Guilty as Sin?, My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys, So Long, London and The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.

With this year’s victory, Swift’s total number of BMI Pop Awards has now reached 53.

Why was Sabrina Carpenter recognised?

Carpenter earned the shared songwriting honour after a standout year in pop music. BMI acknowledged several of her songs, including Bed Chem, Busy Woman, Good Graces, Juno, Manchild and Taste.

In her acceptance remarks, Carpenter spoke about the importance of storytelling in her music career, calling songwriting one of the most meaningful parts of her life.

Who else won at the BMI Pop Awards?

Kendrick Lamar and SZA won BMI Pop Song of the Year for Luther, while Sony Music Publishing received the Publisher of the Year honour. Artists including Addison Rae, Ravyn Lenae and Gigi Perez were also recognised during the event.