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NEW YORK, July 16, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Broadcast Music, Inc.®, (BMI®), the global leader in music rights management, will present the BMI Icon Award to Cash Money's Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams at the 2013 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, to be held Thursday, August 22, at the Manhattan Center in New York City. The star-studded event, formerly known as the BMI Urban Awards, draws the entire entertainment community together to celebrate the songwriters, producers and publishers of the most-performed r&b/hip-hop songs of the previous year.

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BMI Icons are selected because of their "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." As the 2013 honorees, Cash Money's Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams will join elite ranks that include Mariah Carey, the Jacksons, Snoop Dogg, George Clinton, James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Little Richard, and Al Green, among others.

"Bryan and Ronald Williams' creative and entrepreneurial acumen has resulted in over 20 years of global success for them personally, and for their enterprise, Cash Money Records. I'm personally thrilled to recognize two individuals I've seen achieve so much success in their careers. Their innate ability to cultivate talent, build and sustain a brand while composing chart-topping songs is an accomplishment worthy of the Icon designation," said Catherine Brewton, BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Atlanta.

"It's absolutely incredible to be honored in this fashion. Cash Money Records is a family first and foremost, and we share this achievement with our entire team and roster. It's because of the immensely talented artists we're blessed to work with that we're in this position, and I want to thank them. They deserve this as much as we do. We also want to thank BMI and everybody who's ever believed in this dream that my brother and I first had over 20 years ago. We're going to keep everything going even stronger for the next 20," said Bryan "Birdman" Williams.

"This recognition from BMI is one of the greatest honors we've ever received. It's something that my brother and I would've never been able to imagine at the genesis of our label. To be recognized by the industry like this, it's humbling, and it's inspiring. We want to thank BMI, every artist on our roster, Universal, and anyone else who's been a part of Cash Money Records' success," said Ronald "Slim" Williams.

Inspired to create opportunities for local talent, New Orleans natives and brothers Bryan "Birdman" and Ronald "Slim" Williams co-founded the independent label Cash Money Records in 1991. Attaining regional success with rappers B.G, Young Buck and a then unknown Lil Wayne, led to an unprecedented production and distribution deal with Universal Music Group. Armed with ownership of all its master recordings – a rarity for a bourgeoning record company – Cash Money started churning out hit albums including Juvenile's 400 Degreez (4.8 million units sold) and Lil Wayne's debut, Tha Block Is Hot (1.4 million units sold). As a recording artist, Bryan "Birdman" Williams has released four solo albums and has earned six BMI Awards. In addition, he released a collaborative album, Like Father, Like Son , with Lil Wayne, and five albums with producer Mannie Fresh under the moniker Big Tymers. Together, the Williams brothers have overseen the growth of the Cash Money brand: Cash Money Content, the book publishing arm distributed by Atria/Simon & Schuster, has released three New York Times best sellers and will be releasing the highly anticipated new book by the Reverend Al Sharpton this fall; and Young Money Entertainment – the joint venture with Lil Wayne – which has steered the ascendancy of recording artists Drake, Nicki Minaj and Tyga. In 2012, Cash Money celebrated the sale of 500 million songs worldwide, a feat made possible by its top-tier artists and savvy leadership.

Despite their immense success in the entertainment industry, the Williams brothers are dedicated to giving back to their community: They have hosted a Turkey Giveaway for the past 16 years, where they personally hand out over 2,000 Thanksgiving turkeys, and at the same event, also provide access to free medical screening.

The BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards will include an all-star musical tribute to Cash Money's Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams, as well as the presentation of the Social Star Award, and R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter, Producer and Publisher of the Year crystals. BMI President and CEO Del Bryant and Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton will share the evening's hosting duties with recording artist Ray J. For more information on the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards and other BMI R&B/Hip-Hop events, visit http://www.bmi.com/genres/rb_hiphop . To join the conversation about the Awards, use hashtag #BMIRnBHipHopAwards.

To request press credentials, visit http://www.bmi.com/press/ . Press credentials will be for red-carpet arrivals only.

About BMI

Broadcast Music, Inc. ^® (BMI ^® ), is a global leader in music rights management, serving as an advocate for the value of music.   BMI represents the public performance rights in more than 7.5 million musical works created and owned by more than 600,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers.  The Company negotiates music license agreements and distributes the fees it generates as royalties to its affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed in public. In 1939, BMI created a groundbreaking open-door policy becoming the only performing rights organization to welcome and represent the creators of blues, jazz, country, and American roots music. Today, the musical compositions in BMI's repertoire, from chart toppers to perennial favorites span all genres of music and are consistently among the most-performed hits of the year. For additional information and the latest BMI news, visit www.bmi.com , follow us on Twitter @BMI or stay connected through Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) Facebook page.

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Jamil Walker / BMI New York 212.220.3143 / Silvia Davi / BMI 212.220.3127/ Vickie Charles/ Cash Money/Young Money/Republic Records 212.331.2110/