Montréal’s La TOHU rocked to the beat of the 2025 Gala SOCAN, marking the organization’s 100th anniversary, with more than 100 trophies, awarded in 25 categories, to honour the creativity and excellence of songwriters, screen composers, and music publishers from Québec and across Francophone Canada. Here’s Part 2 of a series of interviews that we conducted at this memorable event, held on May 4, 2025. (All videos are in French only, for now; English-subtitled versions will be uploaded soon.)
Select the image to access the SOCAN YouTube interview video with Dominique Fils-Aimé
Dominique Fils-Aimé received the 2025 SOCAN Hagood Hardy Award, recognizing her as a jazz artist who’s been unanimously acclaimed over the past two years. Her acclaimed album Our Roots Run Deep has become a comforting soundtrack for difficult times, offering soulful, deeply resonant tracks that soothe the spirit. Drawing on her prolific creativity and social role as an artist, Fils-Aimé has emerged as one of the most inspiring jazz voices of her generation. We spoke with her on the red carpet.
Select the image to access the SOCAN YouTube interview video with Éloi Painchaud of Salebarbes
With nearly 150 shows played during the SOCAN 2025 Gala reference period, where they set the stage, and the crowd, on fire with their contagious, explosive energy – and re-kindled the desire to celebrate Acadian culture in French – Salebarbes certainly deserved the Country Music Award they received at La Tohu. Éloi Painchaud represented the band on the red carpet.
Select the image to access the SOCAN YouTube interview video with Waahli
A new category was inaugurated at this year’s SOCAN Gala, with the presentation of the Global Music Award. And its recipient is certainly one of the best standard-bearers for the blending of genres. Co-founder of the Montréal collective Nomadic Massive, Haitian singer-songwriter Waahli has enjoyed unprecedented success over the past two years, racking up JUNO, ADISQ, and GAMIQ nominations that testify to the unifying power of his warm, irresistibly danceable music. Here’s our interview with the man who divides his time between music and… making organic soap!
Select the image to access the SOCAN YouTube interview video with publisher Patrick Curley of Third Side Music
The SOCAN Publisher of the Year Award has been re-named the Publishing Award to better reflect the collective effort required by this essential profession in the music ecosystem. This year’s recipient is Third Side Music, a Québec-based, fully independent, global copyright administration and synchronization company. Founded in 2005, the company has a team of music industry veterans and passionate music lovers who work tirelessly each day to promote the development of local music. Third Side represents a catalogue of more than 88,000 titles by local and international artists. With offices in Montréal, Los Angeles, New York, and London, the company has proven its ability to advance developing artists in both local and international markets. We met with its President and co-founder, Patrick Curley.
Select the image to access the SOCAN YouTube interview video with Koriass
Rapper Koriass broke the record for the longest run at No. 1 on the Francophone charts for a hip-hop/rap song. “Printemps,” winner of the Popular Song Award at the 2025 SOCAN Gala, stayed on top for 19 weeks. Co-written by Koriass, AC Vasquez, Ruffsound, and Robert Lord, and released by Disques 7ième Ciel and Éditions Lauréa, “Printemps” proves that Québec rap can find its place on commercial radio – although the artist himself believes there should be an exclusively rap radio station in Québec. He talks to us about it on the red carpet.