Dan Mangan won the SOCAN-sponsored Songwriter of the Year Award for his song “Cold in the Summer” at the 2019 edition of the Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMAs) in Whitehorse on Oct. 3, during the BreakOut West conference. The same night, the duo also won Rock Artist of the Year honours.

Susan Aglukark was inducted into the Western Canadian Music Association Hall of Fame, while Hank Carr received the 2019 Heritage Award.

Among the other winners were Snotty Nose Rez Kids, who earned the BreakOut Artist of the Year Award (after winning the Rap/Hip Hop Artist of the Year Award last year); Carmen Braden, who the Classical Composer of the Year honour; Rayannah, who took home the Francophone Artist of the Year recognition; and Northern Haze, who won Indigenous Artist of the Year. The complete list of nominees and winners is available here.

SOCAN also presented a Song House writing camp during BreakOut West 2019, allowing our member participants the opportunity to develop the craft of writing a hit song.