Photo by Kaylee Smoke

Snotty Nose Rez Kids earn three honours at 2022 Western Canadian Music Awards

Story by Howard Druckman | Thursday September 29th, 2022

Snotty Nose Rez Kids earned three honours at the the 2022 edition of the Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMAs) on Sept. 23, 2022: the duo won Rap & Hip Hop Artist, Indigenous Artist, and Recording of the Year (the latter for their Life After album).

Sam Lynch won the SOCAN-sponsored Songwriter of the Year Award (for his Keeping Time album), and Dorothy Chang received the Classical Composer of the Year Award (for her Soaring Spirits album).

The Garrys were chosen BreakOut Artist of the Year, Nuela Charles was the Pop Artist of thre Year, Sargeant X Comrade was the R&B Artist of the Year, and Sweet Alibi were the Roots Artist of the Year.

For a compete list of artistic award winners, click here. SOCAN congratulates all of our member nominees and winners at the 2022 WCMAs!

Photo by Brad Ardley

SOCAN Foundation holds its first-ever Indigenous Song Camp

Story by Howard Druckman | Thursday September 29th, 2022

Indigenous Song Camp 2022

Left to right: Charlie Wall-Andrews, Kim Wheatley, Ila Barker, Nimkish

The SOCAN Foundation was pleased and proud to hold its first-ever Indigenous Song Camp, at the downtown Tkaronto/Toronto creative hub Kilometre House, Sept. 19-22, 2022, during the inaugural edition of Song & Score Week.

Over the course of a four-day creative journey, 18 Indigenous and non-Indigenous songwriters, artists, and producers came together to explore new writing styles, develop new working relationships, and create a positive community experience. Organized by Alan Greyeyes and the sākihiwē festival, the camp allowed participants to expand their networks, while creating new songs in an inspiring setting, and presenting their work at an industry listening session.

Greyeyes, SOCAN Foundation Executive Director Charlie Wall-Andrews, and Rodney Murphy of Kilometre Music Group had planned the camp to take place in 2019 or 2020, but it was postponed due to health restrictions imposed to cope with the pandemic. “It was magical to finally see it made possible,” said Wall-Andrews.

The selected participants came from across the country, and represented a wide variety of musical styles. This cohort included:

“Attending the Indigenous Song Camp was such an uplifting experience,” said Ila Barker. “I genuinely felt like I left that camp a different person, a different artist. It pushed me outside of my comfort zone as a writer, taught me a lot about my abilities, and helped me set new goals. I’m leaving the experience feeling super-crystal-clear on the direction I’ll be taking my art in the future, with a few more songs in my catalogue, and with many lifelong friendships.”

“I feel like we spend a lot of time on business training for Indigenous artists in Canada and not enough on strengthening the art, which is the real driving force behind careers in the music industry,” says Aklan Greyeyes. “I’m super-excited to see what this group does next, because they’re definitely connected to more talent and motivation now.”

The song camp was presented by RBC Emerging Artists, in partnership with the City of Toronto, the SOCAN Foundation, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the sākihiwē Festival. Special Thanks to Kim Wheatley, Anishinaabe Ojibway Grandmother from the Shawanaga First Nations Reserve, who agreed to perform a smudge ceremony to open the camp.

Photo by Angie Dupuis

SPACQ Foundation awards $180,000 in grants

Story by Eric Parazelli | Wednesday September 28th, 2022

For its 2022 edition, the SPACQ Foundation (Société professionnelle des auteurs et des compositeurs du Québec) unveiled the winners of its 17th annual awards ceremony on Sept. 27, 2022, at the Imperial Theatre in Montréal. In total, $180,000 prizes were awarded to songwriters, lyricists, composers, and artists on the Québec music scene. This included two new awards, namely the KARIM-OUELLET Award, offered by the SPACQ Foundation, and the MICHEL-LOUVAIN Award, offered by Quebecor. Geneviève Borne hosted the evening for the first time, taking over from Louise Forestier, who’d hosted it for the past 13 years.

Gala SPACQ 2022SOCAN, represented by the Chairman of its Board of Directors Marc Ouellette, and its Chief Membership Officer Jean-Christian Céré, presented the Stéphane Venne Award for a Non-Performing Singer-Songwriter to Amélie Larocque, for her entire body of work. For more than 10 years, she’s devoted her writing talent to the service of a variety of performers, while at the same time pursuing a successful career as a singer-songwriter.

“Seventeen years already! Year after year, it’s always with the same pleasure that the SPACQ Foundation celebrates the work of songwriters and composers by bringing together creators, the business community, major presenters, and stakeholders of our musical milieu,” said Diane Juster, President of the SPACQ Foundation. “The major changes our industry is undergoing are deeper and deeper, and have a major impact on the condition of music creators. It’s vital that we keep defending their interests, and stop the erosion of their rights. Thanks to the ongoing commitment of our partners, the SPACQ Foundation – which has donated close to $2 million over the past 17 years – is able to pursue its mission of showcasing and recognizing the immense talent of our creators.”

SOCAN congratulates the 2022 winners:

PRIX ANDRÉ-DÉDÉ-FORTIN – Presented by Stingray
Budding Career
ARIANE ROY

PRIX RICHARD GRÉGOIRE – Presented by Hydro-Québec
Screen Music
JULIEN BILODEAU

PRIX BEAU DOMMAGE – Presented by RNC Média
Creative Bond
SALEBARBES

PRIX FRANÇOIS COUSINEAU – Presented by Cogeco
Song Composition
FRANCE D’AMOUR

PRIX PAUL DARAÎCHE – Presented by Arsenal Média
Country Music
DANNY BOUDREAU

PRIX STÉPHANE VENNE – Presented by SOCAN
Writing for Others
AMÉLIE LAROCQUE

PRIX ÉDITH BUTLER – presented by Groupe Financier Peak
Canadian Francophonie
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT

PRIX ROBERT CHARLEBOIS – Presented by Power Corporation
International success
HUBERT LENOIR

PRIX EDDY-MARNAY – Presented by Productions Feeling
Effervescence
KING MELROSE

PRIX SYLVAIN-LELIÈVRE – Presented by Fiera Capital
Passing the baton
ALEXANDRE BELLIARD

PRIX CLÉMENCE DESROCHERS – Presented by Cinémaginaire
Exceptional imagination
ÉMILE BILODEAU

PRIX LUCILLE-DUMONT – Presented by Industrielle Alliance
Female Artist
ISABELLE BOULAY

PRIX DIANE JUSTER – Presented by Sirius
Social Involvement
JUDI RICHARDS

PRIX ANDRÉ-GAGNON – Presented by Québecor
Instrumental Music
RENÉ LUSSIER

PRIX GILLES VIGNEAULT – Presented by the National Bank
Ongoing career
DOMINIQUE FILS-AIMÉ

PRIX LUC PLAMONDON – Presented by ICI Musique
Lyricist
KLÔ PELGAG

PRIX KARIM-OUELLET – Presented by Fondation SPACQ
Artist open to the world
DRAMATIK

PRIX MICHEL-LOUVAIN – Presented by Québecor
Male Artist
MARIO PELCHAT