Bridget Benenate

Bridget Benenate is an American songwriter who first found success with the song "Permission to Shine," which was performed by the band Bachelor Girl and shot to the top of the Australian charts in 1999. The same year Bridget's song "Everything Changes" was featured on Dawson’s Creek in Episode #2-21 "Ch...Ch...Ch...Changes...".

In 2001 Benenate met music producer Matthew Gerrard. They quickly clicked and started to collaborate. One of the first songs they wrote together was "Hold On" for the girl group Bewitched, which was featured in the movie Princess Diaries. In 2003 the duo penned several songs for young Christian artists Nate Sallie and Jaci Velasquez. Jaci’s album, Unspoken, included the song ""Lost Without You," which was later released as the American debut single for the Australian pop idol Delta Goodrem.

Bridget Benenate appeared as guest vocalist for the track Ever Since We Met on Chris Botti's 2003 album A Thousand Kisses Deep. Botti, Benenate and Gerrard are listed as co-writers on the track.

It was not until 2004 that Benenate found her biggest success to date by penning the number single, "Breakaway," for American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson. "Breakaway" spent a record twenty consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Benenate’s most recent successes includes the title cut on JoJo's second album The High Road and the song "Still There For Me" on High School Musical fame, Corbin Bleu’s debut album.