BMI Vice President of Worldwide Creative, Barbara Cane
LOS ANGELES, CA (LA ELEMENTS) 11/8/2026 – “After more than five decades, BMI is not simply where I have built my career-it is part of who I am,” said BMI Vice President of Worldwide Creative, Barbara Cane when announcing her retirement on October 20, 2026. “It gave me the opportunity to grow, to discover, and, most importantly, to uncover the soul with the songwriter. Through every chapter of my journey, I have come to understand that creativity is not simply a profession; it is the heart of who songwriters are and the force that moves our industry forward. What has made this journey so meaningful is that my own values remain deeply aligned with those of BMI – to believe in creators, to nurture their gifts and to create an environment in which their careers can flourish. After fifty years, that purpose still lives in my heart-and it is why this work has never felt simply like a career but like a calling.”
Here at LA ELEMENTS, we had the chance to see on several occasions, Cane co-hosting some of the music industry’s biggest events-including the BMI Pop Awards and BMI Film, TV and Visual Media Awards. Behind the exuberant celebrations, there was no doubt the intense behind the scenes pressure to keep a massive production on track, and Cane commanded that chaos with absolute “grace under pressure.” As journalists, we only saw the final outstanding result-an outcome undoubtedly due in part to the incredibly hard work of Cane, one of the music industry’s most well-known creative executives and a devoted champion of songwriters.
What we didn’t see, but were well aware of, was Cane’s many years devoted to hitmakers who touched the lives of a worldwide audience. Her announcement that she will retire from BMI at the end of this year feels like the end of an era. The only silver lining being that while she is leaving her current role as BMI’s Vice President of Worldwide Creative, Cane has agreed to serve in an advisory capacity to BMI, working directly with CEO Mike O’Neill.
“Barbara is one of the first people I met when I joined BMI almost 32 years ago, and her kindness, caring nature and warm welcome showed me exactly why she is so loved by so many in our industry,” says Mike O’Neill. “She has demonstrated that same care and attention time and again to the many songwriters she worked with, nurtured and supported, and it’s why her relationships in this industry have endured. While Barbara and I started out as colleagues, we’ve ended up as family-and I don’t know many who can say that about the people they work with. The beautiful thing for me is that Barbara has agreed to continue working with me as an advisor, allowing BMI and our writers to still have her insight and counsel, while also allowing her to enjoy some time away from us for the first time in fifty years.”
Cane began working at BMI part-time in 1970 while she was still in high school and has dedicated her entire professional career to the company. She held numerous roles throughout her tenure, starting in BMI’s “Song Research” department and holding a number of creative roles including General Manager of the Los Angeles Office as well as Vice President of Creative in New York, Los Angeles and London, directing the creative activities for BMI’s Pop,Rock and Indie teams. Throughout the years, Cane managed and cultivated relationships with music creators, managers, attorneys, business managers, agents and record label executives. She has worked with many world renowned songwriters and artists including BMI President’s Award recipients Adam Levine, Pink, and Dan Reynolds & Imagine Dragons. Her portfolio also includes BMI Icons Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Carole King, David Foster, Crosby Stills & Nash, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Barry Manilow to name just a few.
Mike Steinberg, BMI’s EVP & Chief Revenue and Creative Officer shared, “When it comes to inspiring and elevating songwriters, Barbara is in a league of her own. Her innate gift for seeing in songwriters what they often could not yet see in themselves has left an indelible mark on the lives and careers of so many creators. She exemplifies what it means to be a mentor, advocate and champion for our creative community. I have been incredibly fortunate to call her one of my dearest friends, a treasured colleague and a once-in-a-lifetime teacher. I am just one of many people whose lives have been enriched by knowing and working alongside her. Barbara’s contributions to BMI, our affiliates and creative community are quite simply immeasurable, and her enduring influence and legacy will continue to be felt through the songs, stories and songwriters whose journeys she has helped shape for generations to come.”
Named as one of Billboard’s Top Women in Music in 2011 and 2024, and the recipient of NMPA’s Lifetime Service Award in 2019, Cane has served on many music industry boards, including the Los Angeles Chapter of NARAS, The Michael Bolton Charities, T.J. Martell Foundation, Neil Bogart Pediatric Cancer Research Program and City of Hope, among others. She is a member of NARAS, CMA, ACM, and Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF), where in 2013, she helped establish the ongoing SHOF “Master Speaker” series with the Thomson School of Music’s undergraduate Popular Music Degree Program.
Cane was also the first-ever recipient of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Teen Impact Award in 2006-an award presented to her by Adam Levine and Maroon 5. She continues to support pediatric cancer research at Children’s Hospital, St. Jude Children’s Research, and Shriners Hospital for Children.
As Barbara Cane begins this next chapter, her outstanding five-decade legacy championing songwriters and their craft will continue to shape BMI and its creative community along into the future.
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