Nashville, Tenn.–BMI has elevated Shannon Sanders to AVP, Creative, Nashville, according to MusicRow.com.
According to the report, since joining BMI in 2020 as Executive Director, Creative, Nashville, Sanders has been integral in spearheading a number of creative initiatives for the company, including the launch of the Annapolis Songwriters Festival, producing the “BMI Presents: A Conversation With” series, and hosting BMI’s monthly Acoustic Lounge at the Bluebird Café.
Sanders also leads BMI Nashville’s No. 1 parties outside of the country genre, which have featured R&B singer Kevin Ross for “Love in the Middle” and rock group Sleep Theory for their hits, “Stuck in My Head,” “Static,” and “Words Are Worthless.”
Prior to joining BMI, he founded and served as Program Director of Nashville’s 102.1 The VILLE, a radio station dedicated to classic soul, R&B, and local artists. He also served as co-musical director for the Fisk Jubilee Singers and India.Arie for many years, according to musicrow.com.
Throughout his career, Sanders has been honored with three Grammy Awards, three Emmys, a Dove Award, and the Academy of Country Music’s Lifting Voices Award in 2024, according to . Black Enterprise named him one of its 100 Modern Men of Distinction in 2016, and the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) recognized him as a “Living Legend” in 2025.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Distinguished Alumni at Tennessee State University.
