Dear Rouge won the SOCAN-sponsored Songwriter of the Year Award for their song “Chains” at the 2018 edition of the Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMAs) in Kelowna on Oct. 14, during the BreakOut West conference. The same night, the duo also won the Pop Artist of the Year honours.
The Grapes of Wrath was enshrined in the Western Canadian Music Association Hall of Fame, while Terry Jacks received the 2018 Heritage Award. “Home for a Rest” by Spirit of the West was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
Among the other winners were Jocelyn Morlock, who won the Classical Composer of the Year honour; Snotty Nose Rez Kids who earned the Rap/Hip Hop Artist of the Year Award; and Alexis Normand, who took home the Francophone Artist of the Year recognition. The complete list of nominees and winners is available here.
SOCAN also presented a Song House writing camp during BreakOut West 2018, allowing our member participants the opportunity to develop the craft of writing a hit song.