The 2025 Francouvertes finals took place at a sold-out Club Soda on May 12, 2025. Spokespersons Kanen and Alex Burger opened the evening with an acoustic set, before making way for the three finalist acts. When all was said and done, it was Muhoza et sa troupe – a jazzy, funky, old-school hip-hop band led by Déric Muhoza Eloundou – that won top honours, including the SiriusXM Prize of $15,000. This marks the first time a rap act has won the Francophone showcase competition since O.G.B.’s victory in 2019. The band, fronted by Eloundou – a proud native of Montréal’s Ahuntsic neighbourhood – includes six young musicians, most of whom met at Cégep de Saint-Laurent. They delivered a festive, musically rich performance that had a crowd, largely made up of their supporters, on their feet.
Leone Volta, the project of Beauce-born, Montréal-based artist Anthony Cayouette, set the tone for the night with a nuanced indie pop-rock sound, blending cinematic flourishes with intense rock energy to secure second place.
Third place went to the charismatic Kate Pereira, whose neo-soul pop fusion, tinged with jazz and electronic influences, also earned her the SOCAN Paroles & Musique Award for outstanding songwriting and composition, along with a $1,000 cash prize awarded during the semi-finals.
The SOCAN Foundation, for its part, awarded a $2,000 grant to Martin Guy – a contestant in the preliminary rounds – to create the theme song for the 2026 edition of Francouvertes.
SOCAN also played an active role throughout the competition, notably by presenting the “J’aime mes ex” series, which gave audiences a chance to re-connect with the musical world of past Francouvertes contestants.
For the complete list of the prizes awarded to the 2025 finalists, visit the Francouvertes website.
SOCAN warmly congratulates Muhoza et sa troupe for their victory, which promises them a bright future in the music world.