Prix Christopher-J-Reed, Lucie Bourgouin, 2022

Left to right: Daniel Lafrance (Éditorial Avenue), Nicole Beausoleil (Productions Nicole Beausoleil), Lucie Bourgouin (Permission), Jehan V. Valiquet (Groupe Éditorial Musinfo), David Murphy (David Murphy et Cie.)

On June 15, 2022, APEM named Lucie Bourgouin the recipient of this year’s Christopher-J.-Reed Award. Named in honour of this renowned music publisher, who passed away in August of 2012, the Christopher-J.-Reed Award is given to a person with outstanding achievements in the professional music publishing community, the utmost respect for music creators and their copyrights, and whose contribution to the trade and awareness of the work of publishers is exceptional. The award, presented by the Association des professionnels de l’édition musicale (APEM), with the support of SOCAN, was handed out in Montréal as part of the Rendez-vous Pros des Francos, during a day of activities celebrating APEM’s 20th Anniversary.

As head of Permission, the company she founded in 1995, Bourgouin has known for a long time that rights clearance is an important niche industry for screen productions. More than 20 years after the creation of her own business, she knows all the ins and outs of a fair trade between the different parties when it comes to integrating one work into another.

She joins a prestigious list of past recipients of the Prize including Daniel Lafrance (2013), Jehan V. Valiquet (2014), David Murphy (2015), Carol Ryan (2016), Claude Brunet (2017), Denis Wolff (2018), Serge Provençal (2019), Patrick Curley (2020), and Nicole Beausoleil (2021).

APEM also presented two roundtables that day: the first about its history, with one of its founders, Daniel Lafrance (Éditorial Avenue); the second, on the future of music publishing in Québec, with Guillaume Lombart (Ad Litteram), Odette Lindsay (Third Side Music), Yao (Intello-Production) and Marie-Ève Rochon (Bonsound).

Prix Christopher-J-Reed, 2022The second roundtable looked at several aspects of music publishing, including education, best practices, new challenges brought on by digital technology, collaboration opportunities, and finally, how to properly understand new forms of music consumption. The consensus was that the future lies, above all, in better publishing education for music creators.

APEM also presented two musical showcases early in the evening, featuring current pop sensation Marilyne Léonard (published by Editorial Avenue) and rapper 20some (published by Joy Ride Records), a member of the popular rap group Dead Obies.

 



The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) is pleased to announce Chad Kroeger and Ryan Peake of Nickelback, one of Canada’s most successful rock bands, along with music icon Corey Hart, as the latest round of performers to be added to its star-studded Gala, taking place Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, at Toronto’s Massey Hall, with presenting partner El Mocambo.

On the heels of his upcoming Stranger Things Netflix concert appearance, Corey Hart will join Diamond certified rockers Kroeger and Peake (who have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide as part of Nickelback), in tribute performances to inductees Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance.

“It goes without saying that Bryan and Jim have written, and continue to write, songs that capture some of our best memories.  And to create songs that feel timeless is one of the best achievements you can hope for as a songwriter. We are extremely honoured to celebrate them and their songs at this year’s ceremony,” said Nickelback.

Hart is planning an intimate solo piano performance to present his hand-picked song choices to honour Adams and Vallance. “The Adams / Vallance repertoire has earned a rich and storied place in Canadian music history.  It is with great humility and pride that I will take the stage at Massey Hall to commemorate these two titans of song,” said Hart.

The year 2022 will mark the highly anticipated return of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which will also honour Inductee Alanis Morissette, with previously-announced performers, including multi-Platinum singer-songwriter and seven-time JUNO winner Serena Ryder; four-time JUNO-winning and Grammy-nominated artist Jessie Reyez; and Montréal’s newly minted multi-JUNO Award winner Charlotte Cardin.

Stay tuned for more Inductees, performers and special guest announcements in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the 2022 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala are available through Massey Hall at https://masseyhall.mhrth.com/tickets/CSHF-22.  Visit cshf.ca and follow @CSHFmusic for the latest updates.

 



Thierry Larose, Francos, 2022Thierry Larose, whose song “Les amants de Pompéi” earned the 2021 SOCAN Songwriting Prize, continues to garner honours. On June 18, 2022, he won the 2022 edition of the prestigious Prix Félix-Leclerc. The official presentation took place at the beginning of his Francos de Montréal show, as he was about to share the stage with Ariane Roy and Lou-Adriane Cassidy for a three-way concept show entitled “Le roy, la rose, et le lou(p)”. (“The King, The Rose, and The Wolf”)

Thierry Larose thus becomes the latest in a long list of young singer-songwriters that have benefited from the prize, awarded simultaneously to a Québecois and an artist from France – Zinée being this year’s winner of the cross-Atlantic counterpart.

SOCAN has once again partnered with the Prix Félix-Leclerc by awarding Larose a $2,500 cash prize, presented in person by SOCAN Creative and Partnerships Executive Sara Dendane. The cash prize is one of the many advantages attached to this award; the singer-songwriter also gets a $2,500 cash prize from Groupe Editorial Musinfo, an invitation to perform at the Francofolies de La Rochelle, as well as a $10,000 cash prize from Cogeco Média.

The winner of the Prix Félix-Leclerc is chosen by a jury of journalists and industry representatives selected by the FrancoFolies de Montréal. Thierry Larose was nominated, along with SOCAN members Ariane Roy, Étienne Coppée, LUMIÈRE, Étienne Dufresne, Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Lysandre, Marilyne Léonard, and Nicolas Gémus.

Congratulations Thierry Larose!