The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) is pleased to announce the finalists of the 2021 Slaight Music Emerging Songwriter Award. Established in 2017, the Award celebrates the current achievements and bright futures of Canadian songwriters on an upward trajectory in their career. This year’s finalists are comprised of six Anglophone artists and five Francophone artists from across Canada, vying for the top cash prize and exclusive access to SOCAN songwriting camps, mentorship opportunities, and industry recognition at the 2021 and 2022 SOCAN Awards.
New this year, the CSHF is inviting the public to discover new music and vote for their favourite songwriter as the second round of voting gets underway by a juried panel. Fans can vote daily at www.cshf.ca/songwriter-award/ until Aug. 15, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. ET, to earn their nominee a bonus entry. The winner in the Anglophone and Francophone categories will be announced in early September.
Past winners of the Slaight Music Emerging Songwriter Award include Charlotte Cardin, Jessie Reyez, Lowell and Les Louanges.
“This year’s class of finalists are among the most exciting and innovative artists in music today. Their songwriting craft is largely driven by self-reflection, authentic expression, and unwavering points of view that echo the experiences and stories of Canada’s diverse communities and musical landscape,” says Derrick Ross, President of Slaight Music. “A big congratulations to all the finalists. We’re extremely excited for Canadians to discover their music and vote for any one of these talented and deserving songwriters – who one day may be a future inductee to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.”
This year’s Slaight Music Emerging Songwriter contest consisted of 40 outstanding candidates. The top finalists were determined after a first round of voting by a juried panel of music industry professionals.
The 2021 finalists in the Anglophone category are LU KALA, Mustafa, Savannah Ré, Shay Lia, TOBi, and William Prince. In the Francophone category, the finalists are Ariane Roy, Klô Pelgag, Laurence-Anne, P’tit Belliveau, and Sarahmée.
For complete bios, music streaming, voting, and to learn more about the Slaight Music Emerging Songwriter Award, go to www.cshf.ca/songwriter-award/.