Mariah Carey is to be honored at the upcoming Broadcast Music International (BMI) Urban Awards.

The "Hero" hitmaker will be named a BMI Icon for her "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers", joining the ranks of previous honourees including George Clinton, James Brown, Isaac Hayes, and Al Green.

Carey will be handed the award at a ceremony at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California on Sept 7.

Announcing the decision to honor the R&B star, a BMI spokesman says, "Mariah Carey is one of the most prolifically successful songwriters of the last several decades in any genre of music."