UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 23, 2015

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(212) 495-1784

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Upon issuance of the Series E Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, liquidation preference $100,000 per share, par value $0.01 per share (the “Series E Preferred Stock”) by The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (the “Registrant”) on April 28, 2015, the ability of the Registrant to declare or pay dividends on, or purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, shares of its common stock or any shares of the Registrant that rank junior to the Series E Preferred Stock will be subject to certain restrictions in the event that the Registrant does not declare and pay (or set aside) dividends on the Series E Preferred Stock for the last preceding dividend period. The terms of the Series E Preferred Stock, including such restrictions, are more fully described in the Certificate of Designations (as defined in Item 5.03 below), a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

On April 27, 2015, the Registrant filed a Certificate of Designations (the “Certificate of Designations”) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to establish the preferences, limitations and relative rights of the Series E Preferred Stock. The Certificate of Designations became effective upon filing, and a copy is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

On April 23, 2015, the Registrant entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Goldman, Sachs & Co., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters listed therein (the “Underwriters”), relating to the public offering (the “Offering”) of 1,000,000 depositary shares (the “Depositary Shares”), each representing a 1/100th interest in a share of the Series E Preferred Stock. The Underwriting Agreement contains various representations, warranties and agreements by the Registrant, conditions to closing, indemnification rights and obligations of the parties and termination provisions. The description of the Underwriting Agreement set forth above is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Underwriting Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference. This Current Report on Form 8-K is being filed for the purpose of filing Exhibit 1.1 as an exhibit to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-189568) (the “Registration Statement”) and such exhibit is hereby incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement.

A copy of the opinion of Kathleen B. McCabe, Chief Securities Counsel of the Registrant, relating to the legality of the issuance and sale of Series E Preferred Stock is attached as Exhibit 5.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K. Exhibits 5.1 and 23.1 of this Current Report on Form 8-K are hereby incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement.

The Deposit Agreement, dated as of April 27, 2015 (the “Deposit Agreement”), by and among the Registrant, Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as joint depositary, and the holders from time to time of the depositary receipts described therein, relating to the Depositary Shares is filed as Exhibit 4.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference. The form of certificate representing the Series E Preferred Stock and the form of depositary receipt representing the Depositary Shares are filed and included as Exhibit A and Exhibit B, respectively, to the Deposit Agreement and are incorporated herein by reference.

(d) Exhibits

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

EXHIBIT INDEX