Photo by Benoit Rousseau (Gala SOCAN 2019, le gagnant du Prix de l’éditeur de l’année / Winner of the Francophone Publisher of the Year, David Murphy & Cie)

Apply now for the Francophone SOCAN Publisher of the Year Award

Story by Eric Parazelli | Thursday October 8th, 2020

The next edition of the Francophone Gala SOCAN, which will be virtual, will once again celebrate the outstanding contributions of music publishers by presenting the SOCAN Music Publisher of the Year Award. Publishers are invited to submit their nominations now.

The SOCAN Publisher of the Year Award recognizes a SOCAN publisher member who has made significant and positive contributions to the music industry and the creative community over the one-year period preceding the year of the award’s presentation.

The eligibility period for the 2020 SOCAN Awards extends from Jan. 1, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2019, and only achievements having taken place during that period will be considered. All nominations will be assessed by a jury of music industry professionals.

To be eligible, music publishers must operating in Canada, and their repertoire must be predominantly Francophone, or have had a significant Francophone impact creatively and commercially. Publishers with a representative sitting on the selection committee are not eligible for this award.

Nominations for the Montreal Gala SOCAN must be sent to Andréanne Robertson (andreanne.robertson@socan.com) by Oct. 16, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. ET.

The Francophone SOCAN Publisher of the Year Award will be presented virtually during the 31st edition of Gala SOCAN, at a date to be confirmed shortly.

Download the nomination form

Photo by Houtan Houdania, via Zoom. Left to right/De gauche à droite : William Prince, Aidan D'Aaoust of/de la SOCAN.

William Prince at Folk Music Ontario/SOCAN songwriting masterclass

Story by Howard Druckman, with files from/avec la participation de Houtan Houdania | Wednesday October 14th, 2020

Folk Music Ontario and SOCAN presented a songwriting masterclass with William Prince on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, online via Zoom, to a limited audience that signed up for the event.

The down-to-earth Prince – winner of the 2020 SOCAN Songwriting Prize, for his song “The Spark” –  offered stories from his life, and insights into the art and craft of his songwriting, in a conversation with SOCAN A&R Representative Aidan D’Aoust.

Prince discussed how he’s dealing with the pandemic, and some of the positives that have come from it: He’s been able to spend more time with his son, and watch him ride his bike for the first time, now that he’s not touring so much. He’s also had time to focus on his health, and more time to write music.

Prince also talked about his parents’ wedding DJ business, and how it exposed him to lots of music when he was a boy, as he helped to prepare mixtapes and select songs for the weddings. He also mentioned the importance of Gospel music as he was growing up.

As for his actual songwriting process, Prince said that he usually starts by jotting down lyrics on Hilroy Canada Exercise Books.

Photo by Brad Ardley via Zoom, of/de Kaya Pino

Video: The Breakdown – What are music supervisors looking for?

Story by Howard Druckman and Racquel Villagante | Thursday October 8th, 2020

Words & Music is pleased to extend its helpful “how-to” series for our members, “The Breakdown,” into the realm of short, question-and-answer videos.

 In this first episode, SOCAN A&R Representative Racquel Villagante talks with Kaya Pino, Music Supervisor at The Wilders, an award-winning group of music supervisors, composers, producers, and songwriters, who create and foster music that bring ideas to life, so that audiences experience them as their creators intended.

Our question this time is, “What are the specific things you’re looking for when selecting music for film or TV projects?”