Photo by Frédérique Ménard-Aubin

Francouvertes 2023 announces 21 participants

Story by Eric Parazelli | Thursday March 9th, 2023

The 2023 edition of Les Francouvertes will begin on March 13, 2023, at Montréal’s Lion d’Or, and online via the viewing and voting platform lepointdevente.com. The event has announced 21 Francophone and Indigenous contestants from Québec, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.

Fans of musical discoveries will be able to enjoy, and vote for, the performances of Bourbon, Reno McCarthy, and Cure-Pipe (March 13); Rossomodo, Claudie Létourneau, and Jeanne Laforest (March 14); Jeanne Côté, Renaud Gratton, and Katia Rock (March 20) ; Héron, Marie Céleste, and Velours Velours (March 21); gLohm, BRUE, and Peanut Butter Sunday (March 27); Sloan Lucas, Sami, and Menura (March 28) and Emmanuelle Querry, De Flore, and Parazar (March 29).

For this 27th edition of Les Francouvertes, SOCAN will once again award the $1,000 Paroles & Musique cash prize to the winner of the semi-finals, as well as a writing residency at SOCAN House in Nashville or Los Angeles. We’re also is the presenter of the “J’aime mes ex” series, the lineup of which is composed entirely of women this year. As opening acts for the preliminaries and semi-final shows, 10 ex-participants are invited to perform some of their own compositions, as well as a new or unpublished version of a song from their repertoire. Audiences will have the chance to discover or rediscover thaïs (March 13), Anaïs Constantin (March 14), Laura Lefebvre (March 20), Ariane Roy (March 21), Mélodie Spear (March 27), FIDÈS (March 28), Maude Audet (March 29), Lou-Adriane Cassidy (April 17), Kanen (April 18), and Mélanie Venditti (April 19).

The Paroles & Musique cash prize is part of a plethora of other prizes, grants, and concert opportunities to be handed out this year.

The seven preliminary rounds and semi-finals (April 18–20) will be held at Lion d’Or, while the final round will be held at Club Soda on May 15.

To find out more about the 2023 Francouvertes, visit francouvertes.com (French only).

Photo by Marie-Michèle Bouchard, Brad Ardley. Left to right/De gauche à droite : Rêve, TOBi, Avril Lavigne

The Weeknd wins five honours at 2023 JUNOs, including SOCAN Songwriter of the Year

Story by Howard Druckman | Thursday March 16th, 2023

Big winner The Weeknd took home five honours at the 2023 JUNO Awards on March 11 and 13 in Edmonton. He earned awards for Album, Pop Album (both for Dawn FM), Single (for “Sacrifice”), Artist, and Songwriter of the Year sponsored by SOCAN. This makes him the second most awarded JUNO winner in history, with 22 wins (second only to Anne Murray with 25).

While Abel Tesfaye didn’t attend the JUNOs, the Broadcast Awards show on Monday, March 13, from Rogers Place in Edmonton – expertly hosted by Simu Liu (who also displayed his musical skills) for the second year in a row, and once again highlighting diversity and youth – featured exciting performances from

  • Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees Nickelback;
  • TikTok star and five-time 2023 nominee Tate McRae;
  • fast-rising Indigenous singer-songwriter and 2023 JUNO nominee Aysanabee, performing with traditional group Northern Cree;
  • global pop star AP Dhillon, the first person to perform entirely in Punjabi on the JUNOs stage;
  • worldwide hit phenomenon and Breakthrough Group of the Year Banx and Ranx, with Breakthrough Artist of the Year Preston Pablo and 2023 Dance Recording of the Year winner Rêve;
  • R&B Album of the Year winner (her fifth JUNO honour) Jessie Reyez; and
  • a showstopping, high-energy performance celebrating the history and present of Canadian hip-hop, that included Kardinal Offishall Haviah Mighty, 2023 Rap Album of the Year winner TOBi, Maestro Fresh Wes, Michie Mee, Dream Warriors, Choclair, Rich Kidd, and DJ Mel Boogie.

SOCAN’s Creative Team and Communications & Marketing Department were on the scene non-stop, working to support our members as they reach for their dreams.

SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown, Hubert Lenoir

Hubert Lenoir, SOCAN CEO Jenn Brown (Photo CARAS/iPhoto)

At the pre-broadcast gala on Saturday, March 11, at the Edmonton Convention Centre, SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown and Québec superstar and 2023 Francophone Album of the Year nominee Hubert Lenoir presented the Songwriter of the Year Award to The Weeknd. Bekah Simms’s Bestiary I & II was the Classical Composition of the Year, while the Francophone Album of the Year was Crash by Les Louanges, and the Contemporary Indigenous Album of the Year went to Digging Roots.

For a full list of winners and nominees, visit the winners page on the JUNOs website.

JUNOs 2023, SOCAN, Songwriters Cirtcle

Singer-songwriters at the JUNO Songwriters Circle, presented by SOCAN (Photo: Brad Ardley)

On Sunday, March 12, SOCAN presented the JUNO Songwriters’ Circle – known as “the jewel of JUNO week” – bringing together music creators to play their songs and share the stories behind them. This year’s event, hosted by CBC Music’s Damhnait Doyle (a former SOCAN board member) featured heartfelt performances and engaging stories from:

  • Adria Kain;
  • Dan Mangan;
  • The Reklaws;
  • Lauren Spencer Smith;
  • 2023 Country Album of the Year winner Tenille Townes;
  • Contemporary Roots Album of the Year winners The Bros. Landreth;
  • Tyler Shaw; and
  • Wild Rivers
Jessie Reyez, SOCAN, No. 1 Song Award

Jessie Reyez receives a SOCAN No. 1 Song Award (Photo: Brad Ardley)

SOCAN also presented two No. 1 Song Awards during JUNO weekend:

  • one to Jessie Reyez, for “Mutual Friend,” which reached the peak of the CBC Music Top 20 on Sept. 15, 2022; and
  • one to Preston Pablo and Banx & Ranx for “Flowers Need Rain,” which topped the Billboard Canada Mainstream Adult Contemporary chart on Jan. 9, 2023, as well as the CBC Music Top 20 on Oct. 3, 2022.
Preston Pablo, Banx & Ranx, SOCAN, No. 1 Song Award

Preston Pablo and Banx & Ranx receive a SOCAN No. 1 Song Award (Photo: Marie-Michèle Bouchard)

As well, SOCAN co-sponsored the ADVANCE House afterparty, and took part in two important panels:

  • Be the Change: In Conversation with ADVANCE/Music Canada
    • Moderated by Olivier Vander Zang (of Music Canada)
    • Keziah Myers (ADVANCE)
    • Carmen Spencer (Sony)
    • SOCAN’s Lord Quest.
  • Women in Music Canada – Sharing Their Stories: Overcoming Roadblocks & Building an Equitable Future
    Held during the Women in Music Canada brunch for female-identifying music industry representatives
    • Moderated by Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of SOCAN Foundation
    • Helen Britton (Six Shooter)
    • Nuela Charles (artist)
    • Henca Maduro (Founder, New Skool Rules)

SOCAN conducted interviews with several of our nominated members during JUNO weekend, and chatted with many more of them on the red carpet. In the coming days and weeks, we’ll share video highlights, interviews, and photos from the 2023 JUNO weekend, so stay tuned to www.socanmagazine.ca, www.socan.com, and our social media.

Congratulations to all our nominated and award-winning SOCAN members at the 2023 JUNOs!

Photo by Brad Ardley

“Top Secrets” Video: SOCAN honours DZL with No. 1 Song Award

Story by Howard Druckman | Monday March 6th, 2023

At its 2023 pre-Grammy party on Feb. 2 in Los Angeles, SOCAN presented producer Michael “DZL” Holmes with a No. 1 Song Award, for co-writing/co-producing Jazmine Sullivan’s “Hurt Me So Good,” which topped the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart on Dec. 10, 2022.

His fellow SOCAN co-writers/co-producers were similarly honoured: Luca Mauti at the same event, and Akeel Henry at a separate celebration, around the same time, also in L.A.

This is the second SOCAN No. 1 Song Award presented to DZL for his work with Sullivan; “Pick Up Your Feelings” topped the  same chart on Mar. 20, 2021. Both songs are co-published by Warner Chappell Music Canada.

DZL – whose credits include work with J  Cole, 6Lack, Meek Mill, Trey Songz, Tory Lanez, Raekwon, and Wale – sat down with SOCAN to talk about how “Hurts Me So Good” came together, and his contributions to it.