Photo by SOCAN Foundation / Fondation SOCAN. Leonard Sumner, right/ à droite.

SOCAN Foundation announces more money for Black and Indigenous music

Story by SOCAN Foundation / Fondation SOCAN | Monday November 15th, 2021

The SOCAN Foundation is proud to add 10 new cash prizes to the TD Indigenous Songwriters Awards and the SiriusXM Black Canadian Music Awards, giving more opportunities for exceptional emerging music creators to benefit from the awards.

Each award category will be augmented with five $1,000 Honourable Mention prizes, in addition to the current prizes of $10,000 for the Indigenous Songwriter Awards and five $5,000 prizes for the Black Canadian Music Awards.

“The quality of the submissions we receive year after year is so high that we felt it was our duty to find a way to reward more music creators,” said Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of the SOCAN Foundation. “We hope that this additional support will continue to help foster a more inclusive representation of communities throughout the Canadian music ecosystem.”

In addition to the new honourable mention cash prizes, the Songwriters Association of Canada and the Société professionnelle des auteurs et des compositeurs du Québec are offering free one-year memberships to the Grand Prize winners in each competition, giving the winners privileged access to their services.

Music Creators must submit their applications for consideration by Monday, Dec. 6, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. E.T. Applications can be submitted here. For more information, please visit the SOCAN Foundation website.

The Indigenous Songwriter Awards is a partnership between TD Bank and the SOCAN Foundation. Its purpose is to celebrate the outstanding work of music creators from First Nations communities.

Works submitted to the competition are reviewed by a panel of distinguished songwriters appointed by the SOCAN Foundation. The judges will give primary consideration to works of outstanding merit, and the decisions of the jury are final. A cash prize of $10,000 is awarded to the winner of the competition, which is open to songwriters of Indigenous descent without age restrictions. An Indigenous person is defined as a Canadian who is a member (registered or non-registered) of a First Nation, Métis, or Inuit. Proof of membership in a recognized community or organization may include a status card, membership card in an Aboriginal entity, or letter of reference indicating Aboriginal status.

The Black Canadian Music Award is a partnership between SiriusXM Canada and the SOCAN Foundation. Its purpose is to celebrate the outstanding work of Black Canadian music creators. It’s open to creators of all types of music: folk, blues, rock, hip-hop, R&B, etc. To be eligible, the creator of the work submitted must identify as Black and be a Canadian citizen. In the case of a collective or band, each member of the group must meet the competition’s eligibility criteria. Up to five grants of $5,000 each are awarded to the finalists of the competition. Entries will be judged by a panel of Black artists and Black leaders in the Canadian music industry. Black music is defined as music created, produced, or inspired by Black people, by people of African descent, including African musical traditions and African popular music, as well as the musical genres of the African diaspora, including Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latin, Afro-Brazilian and Afro-American music.

Video Interview: Anachnid’s Musical Medicine

Story by Eric Parazelli | Sunday November 21st, 2021

Anachnid’s emotion was visible when her name was called by Elisapie Isaac as the recipient of the Félix Award for Aboriginal Artist of the Year at the ADISQ Gala on Nov. 7, 2021. The Oji-Cree artist won for his first album, Dreamweaver, where she amalgamates electro, indie pop, soul, and trap. It’s an album that’s far from Indigenous musical tradition, and which defies reflexive pigeonholing.

Interviewed by Paroles &  Musique Editor Eric Parazelli, she shares her pride in being accepted by the Québec music industry, and reveals her favourite themes and sonic research, and analyzes how her music is perceived by both the non-Aboriginal public and her own community. As a bonus, she also explains how she learned to sing with wolves!

(Originally posted in November 2021)

Register now for three-day SOUND & VISION Virtual Sync Conference

Story by Howard Druckman | Monday November 15th, 2021

The Guild of Music Supervisors Canada (GMSC)  is presenting the SOUND + VISION Virtual Sync Conference, a three-day, online educational gathering, sponsored in part by SOCAN, Nov. 18-20, 2021.

The GMSC is extending its invitation to anyone and everyone from around the globe working in the “sound & vision” space –  including songwriters, artists, filmmakers, producers, directors, ad execs, and content creators. Each day will include educational panels and creative workshops that break down the many layers of synchronization of music to moving images (aka “sync”) in multiple media platforms. The seminars will include some of the top business professionals working in these media across Canada.

Session highlights include:

  • a Keynote Interview with Matt Biffa, music supervisor (Sex Education);
  • a screen composer session with Adam Taylor (The Handmaid’s Tale), Lesley Barber (Manchester By The Sea, Late Night), and Agatha Kaspar (Ginny & Georgia, Kodachrome);
  • a look behind the scenes of the TV Series Diggstown, with creator/showrunner Floyd Kane, music supervisor Mikaila Simmons, and composers Menalon;
  • a panel about pitching for a scene, with music supervisors Michelle Johnson (Better Call Saul, Vida), Natasha Duprey (Tiny Pretty Things, Snowpiercer), Everton Lewis Jr. (All or Nothing, Anyone’s Game, VICE Canada), and Danielle Lindy (Vanity Fair, Loblaws PC); and
  • a special performance by The OBGMs.

There will be an admission fee of $20 CAD this year, which supports the GMSC, a not-for-profit organization. For a full schedule, or to register and buy tickets, click here.