The SOCAN Foundation is excited to unveil the recipients of the fourth SiriusXM Black Canadian Music Awards, honouring the artistic achievements of DVBLM, Liza, Myles Castello, NAIIM, and Savannah Ré.
The Black Canadian Music Awards were created to recognize and celebrate the artistic merit demonstrated by Black music creators of any genre. With SiriusXM Canada’s generous support of the award, the five selected winners each receive a prize of $10,000 to bolster their career development.
Honourable mention awards of $1,000 are also being made to Eleanor, Kirk Diamond & FINN, Mah Moud, Ryan Ofei, and Tona.
“I’m happy to be part of this amazing award that highlights Black artists in Canada. Thank you to the SOCAN Foundation for creating and championing it,” said Kentya Kurban, Jury Chair and Community Engagement Coordinator at Music BC. “There were so many great submissions that truly show the raw talent we have in this country. The winners from this year showed diversity in sound, genres, and talent. The jury is made up of many professionals across Canada that work in the industry, and it’s important for artists to submit to these awards, because you never know who’s listening to you. Trust me, I added many songs to my playlist!”
Artists from across Canada representing a wide spectrum of musical styles and genres submitted their applications for the Awards. Winners were selected by a jury, and advisory council, of prominent Black artists and industry leaders. Jury members include Kurban; Keziah Myers (Executive Director at Advance); Lord Quest (Executive Creative, Black Music, at SOCAN); Marissa Groguhé (cultural Journalist at La Presse); Owen Lee (producer, and CEO of O’Sound Music); and Victor Bibby (Musical Director at SiriusXM).
“We’re committed to amplifying Black artists of every genre through our North American-wide platform and contributions,” said Michelle Mearns, VP, Programming & Operations, SiriusXM Canada. “The SOCAN Foundation’s Black Canadian Music Awards continue to be an important pillar of our support and showcasing a new group of deserving recipients each year, and we want to congratulate this year’s winners.”