The SOCAN Foundation has announced the recipients of the 5th SiriusXM Black Canadian Music Awards. The Awards recognize creators from all musical genres whose work stands out for its excellence on record, on stage and/or in music for screen.
Here are the artists taking top honours in 2026, each receiving a $10,000 cash prize.
Tanika Charles
This Albertan—and proud Edmonton Oilers fan—already has an impressive track record: she has been nominated three times for a JUNO Award and has made the Polaris Music Prize long list just as many times. Her Motown-tinged R&B has been turning heads for years.
Last year, she revealed a new side of herself, more vulnerable than ever, with her EP Reasons to Stay, a brutally honest and sensitive look at life in a relationship.
Desirée Dawson
On Instagram, this singer-songwriter describes herself in just a few words: genre blender and hope holder. Musically, the British Columbian moves between folk, bluegrass and pop with disarming ease—and, above all, with a smile in her voice.
In fact, Desirée Dawson’s songs have an almost therapeutic quality; it feels as though she creates them to uplift others, lift their spirits, and awaken their inner strength.
Kareem James
In the music industry, few people can claim to be as versatile as Kareem James. Originally from Toronto and now based in Los Angeles, he moves between songwriting, composing and producing songs for other people’s projects. He also works as a music supervisor for television.
Among his collaborators in recent years are several voices shining on the international stage: Banks, Durand Bernarr, Sasha Keable, N A O and Tkay Maidza.
Rachel McFarlane
Rachel McFarlane is already emerging as a trailblazer. In 2025, at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, she became the first Black person and the first woman to graduate with the Screen Scoring Double Major in Film Scoring and Games & Interactive Media Scoring.
In addition to working as a composer at Riot Games since graduating, Rachel McFarlane recently presented her work at Carnegie Hall, the legendary New York venue.
pHoenix Paggliaci
When she sings, pHoenix Pagliacci’s voice feels timeless, shaped by soul and jazz. A true chameleon, the Toronto artist is just as at home rapping, as she has shown many times, notably in the cypher arena—which is precisely where she met the members of one of her former groups, The Sorority.
She now continues to make her mark in an R&B lane, both with her group TRP.P and as a solo artist.
The Black Canadian Music Awards also shine a spotlight on five “artists to watch,” each receiving a $1,000 cash prize: Leila Dey (Ontario), Zamani Folade (Nova Scotia), Mopao Mumu (Québec), Chad Price (Ontario), and Julian Taylor (Ontario).