APRA AMCOS is proud to welcome Khaled Rohaim and Te Whiti Warbrick to The 1,000,000,000 List for their work on Rihanna's hit song 'Needed Me,' a single from her Billboard #1 album ANTI.
They were recently honoured for the songwriting achievement, which is given to APRA AMCOS members in recognition of more than one billion streams for a song.
Their 'Needed Me' collaborators and Twice As Nice co-founders Lewis Audino and Nick Hughes received their awards last year in Los Angeles.
Upon receiving his award from APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston, Sydney-based producer/songwriter Rohaim said, "Being part of such a massive song like ‘Needed Me’ by Rihanna was such an honour. It means a lot to me to receive this award and to join the small group of Australians who have been acknowledged for their contribution to a song reaching 1,000,000,000 streams. Thank you APRA AMCOS for putting the behind-the-scenes creatives into the spotlight with this award."
Rohaim has produced and composed for global superstars including Ariana Grande, Juice WRLD and Ty Dolla Sign and has played a pivotal role in the development The Kid LAROI, a rising superstar in his own right. Rohaim produced over half of the tracks on the Sydney teen's worldwide chart-topping 2020 mixtape, F*ck Love, which is this week's ARIA #1 album, and he was also involved in the production of OneFour's criticially-acclaimed Against All Odds EP.
Warbrick, also known as SickDrumz, works primarily from his home studio in Sanson in New Zealand's Manawatu region. His production and songwriting can be heard on songs by Lil Wayne, Future, Ty Dolla Sign and Post Malone.
When his award arrived he said, "It's hard to believe that I made this song on an old laptop with some broken headphones in a tiny bedroom on the back of a farm with a view of cows. From Sanson to the world, 'Needed Me' was born, and its such an honour to be a part of an anthem sung by one of the biggest artists of our time – Rihanna. Thank you to APRA AMCOS for awarding me with this Billions award to represent my achievement!"
‘Needed Me’ was released as a single in March 2016, shortly after ANTI's January release and its #1 debut on the Billboard Top 200. "Rihanna has always shined when at her most assertive, like on 'Needed Me,' one of this album’s highlights," wrote the New York Times.
The song reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs, Rhythmic, and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. 'Needed Me' is certified five-times platinum in the US, double platinum in Canada, and platinum in Australia and New Zealand. Rihanna also performed it on the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.
Rohaim, Warbrick, Audino and Hughes are credited co-writers along with international collaborators Robyn Fenty (Rihanna), Dijon McFarlane (Mustard), Brittany Hazzard, Charles Hinshaw, Rachel Derrus and Adam Feeney.
Also receiving awards are the publishers, respectively: BMG Music Publishing on behalf of Rohaim, Universal Music Publishing on behalf of Warbrick, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing on behalf of Audino and Hughes.
“Honouring Khaled, Te Whiti, Nick and Lewis for the role they played in the songwriting and production of Rihanna's 'Needed Me' drives home what this award is about – and that is showcasing the creators of a song that connects with fans globally. Collectively they are trailblazers for Australian and New Zealand music creators and I couldn't be more proud to welcome them to The 1,000,000,000 List.
"It was a real joy to be able to present the award to Khaled in our Sydney office, and the New Zealand team is looking forward to celebrating with Te Whiti in Auckland soon.” said APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston.
Rohaim, Warbrick, Audino and Hughes join an esteemed list of recipients: Nat Dunn (for MARSHMELLO’S ‘Friends’), Dean Lewis and Jon Hume (for ‘Be Alright’), Flume (for ‘Never Be Like You’), Jake Mason, Ivan Khatchoyan, and Lance Ferguson (for Cookin’ On 3 Burners ‘This Girl’), Starley and P-Money (for ‘Call On Me’), Troye Sivan and Alex Hope (for ‘Youth’), Tones And I (for ‘Dance Monkey’), 5 Seconds of Summer (for 'Youngblood'), Georgi Kay, Ivan Gough, Aden Forte and Josh Soon (for 'In My Mind'), Vance Joy (for 'Riptide'), Gotye (for 'Somebody That I Used to Know'), VASSY (for 'Bad') and more including Sia, Joel Little, and Sarah Aarons for multiple works. See the full list.
The 1,000,000,000 List takes into account streaming numbers from major services Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. It is the first award of its kind to recognise a songwriter’s achievement.