On May 16, 2022, the SiriusXM Grand Finale of the Francouvertes took place in a sold-out Club Soda, in front of an audience eager to finally be there after two years of pandemic. Competing were young Émile Bourgault and his anthemic pop-rock, Rau Ze and its unabashed soul music, and Hôte’s exploratory rock.
In the end, Rau Ze walked away with the top prize, and an impressive list of awards, including the $10,000 SiriusXM cash prize. Rau Ze also won the Paroles & Musique Award presented by SOCAN during the semi-final round.
The second prize went to Hôte, while Émile Bourgault finished third and walked away with a $5,000 Andréanne-Sasseville cash prize awarded by SiriusXM, which was determined by a round of online voting among the nine semi-finalists.
The evening began with electrifying performances by contest spokespersons Lydia Képinski and Les Louanges, to get the ball rolling, before giving way to the three finalists of the 26th annual edition of the contest.
For the complete list of the prizes given out to the 2022 finalists, visit the Francouvertes website.
The finals were broadcast live online, but you can hear the entire evening in a special broadcast on Influence Franco—SiriusXM 174—on Wednesday, May 25, at 12 noon ET and Friday, May 27, at 6:00 p.m. ET
SOCAN warmly congratulates Rau Ze on this victory, which will certainly propel the band to a promising start in its career
