Photo by SOCAN. Left to right/De gauche à droite : Gary Furniss (Sony), Michael Brandolino (Valley), Rob Laska (Valley), Hari Sridhar (SOCAN), David Quilico (Sony), Houtan Hodania (SOCAN), Alex Dimauro (Valley), Karah James (Valley), Mishelle Pack (Sony), Cameron Kennedy (SOCAN).

SOCAN honours Valley, Sony Music Publishing Canada, with No. 1 Song Award

Story by Howard Druckman, with files from /avec la participation de Houtan Hodania. | Tuesday October 31st, 2023

SOCAN presented the band Valley, and their publisher, Sony Music Publishing Canada, with a No. 1 Song Award for their song “Break for You,” which scaled the peak of the CBC Music Top 20 Countdown on June 29, 2023.

“Break for You” was co-written by band members (and SOCAN members) Rob Laska, Michael Brandolino, Alex Dimauro, and Karah James, along with Mathijs Kriebel (SOCAN), David Pramik (N/A), and Peter Fenn (N/A), and published by Sony Music Publishing Canada.

Receiving the No. 1 Song Award, in addition to the Valley band member co-writers, were Sony Music Publishing Canada representatives Gary Furniss, David Quilico, and Mishelle Pack. (The other SOCAN co-writer of “Break for You,” Mathijs Kriebel, will be awarded at a later date.) The trophies were presented by SOCAN Director, Creative, Cameron Kennedy; Creative Executive, East Coast, Houtan Hodania; and Account Executive Hari Sridhar.

SOCAN congratulates the members of Valley, their co-writers, and Sony Music Publishing Canada on this great achievement!

Valley, Break for You

Select the image to play the YouTube video of the Valley song “Break for You”

 

 

Photo by Canadian Screen Music Awards (CASMAs). Left to right/De gauche à droite : SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown presents a CASMA to Janal Bechthold, accepting on behalf of Layal Watfeh. / Jennifer Brown, directrice générale de la SOCAN, remet un CASMA à Janal Bechthold, qui l'accepte au nom de Layal Watfeh.

Fifteen SOCAN members honoured in 2023 Canadian Screen Music Awards (CASMAs)

Story by Howard Druckman | Tuesday October 31st, 2023

Fifteen SOCAN members were honoured at the Screen Composers Guild of Canada’s (SCGC) second annual Canadian Screen Music Awards (CASMAs), held on Oct. 26, 2023, at El Mocambo in downtown Toronto.

SOCAN Senior Account Executive, Audiovisual, Paul Stillo co-hosted the event with SCGC Executive Director Tonya Dedrick, while SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown presented the Best Original Main Title Theme Music honour, sponsored by SOCAN. “SOCAN is always happy to partner with the Screen Composers Guild of Canada,” said Brown. “We’re very honoured to present this award.” Music Publishers Canada (MPC) CEO Margaret McGuffin presented the honour for Best Original Song, sponsored by MPC.

The CASMAs honour composers for their outstanding work in media and screen-based industries, and are the first to be juried and awarded by fellow composers in Canada. A total of 52 musical works received nominations in 11 categories covering feature film, television, animation, documentary, games, and interactive media.

And the winners are:

Best Original Main Title Theme Music
Presented by SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown
Layal Watfeh, for Under Guardianship – Taht Al Wisaya

Best Original Song (Sponsored by Music Publishers Canada)
Presented by Music Publishers Canada CEO Margaret McGuffin
Jesse Zubot, Wayne Lavallée, and Marie Clements, for “You Are My Bones”

Best Original Score, Animated Series or Special
Spencer Creaghan and Neil Parfitt, for Matchbox Adventures: Season 3

Best Original Score, Comedy Series or Special
Peter Chapman and Maylee Todd, for Workin’ Moms – “The End” episode

Best Original Score, Documentary, Factual, Reality Series or Special
Ben Fox, for The Climate Baby Dilemma

Best Original Score for a Documentary Feature Film
Jonathan Kawchuk, for True Survivors

Best Original Score, Dramatic Series or Special (Sponsored by DGC National)
Spencer Creaghan, for Slasher: Ripper – “The Slaughterhouse” episode

Best Original Score for Games and Interactive Media
Jim Guthrie, for Nobody Saves The World

Best Original Score for a Narrative Feature Film (Sponsored by Orchestral Tools)
Steph Copeland, for Outpost

Best Original Score for a Short Film (Sponsored by Cinesamples)
Amin Bhatia, for Jane Goodall’s Reasons for Hope

Best Original Score for a Television Special
Kristjan Bergey, for Swindler Seduction

Distinguished Services to the Industry Award
Darren Fung

In addition to these awards, an “In Memoriam” segment honoured the late screen composer, and 2022 CASMA winner, Phil Strong – who was fondly remembered as “a brilliant and kind creative spirit.”

Photo by Sylvain Tousignant

Gala Country 2023: Francis Degrandpré walks away with three Willie Awards

Story by Eric Parazelli | Monday October 30th, 2023

Enthusiasm ran high as the Francophone country music community from Québec and Canada gathered on Oct. 26, 2023, for the 10th annual edition of the Gala Country, held this year at Club Soda in Montréal. Hosted by country singer Guylaine Tanguay, the gala presented 14 Willie Awards to artists and projects that stood out over the past year, and offered a variety of musical performances.

Sandrine Hebert, Gala Country, 2023

Sandrine Hébert

SiriusXM offered a $1,500 cash prize to Véronique Labbé, who won the Album of the Year – Classic Country Award, and  a $1,500 cash prize to Francis Degrandpré, who won in the Album of the Year – Contemporary Country category – as well as winning the $2,000 cash prize for the Song of the Year Award. Degrandpré also won the Songwriter of the Year Willie Award, confirming him as the “winningest” artist of the Gala. Sandrine Hébert walked away with two trophies, one for the Breakthrough Artist of the Year and the Public Choice Award while the band Lendemain de veille also won two trophies, in the Duo or Band of the Year and Live Show of the Year categories.

As for the performances that punctuated the evening, gala host Guylaine Tanguay paid tribute to Willie Lamothe with “Elle va revenir, mon amour,” the very first French song to reach Nashville’s hallowed Grand Ole Opry, in 1974. Laurence St-Martin and Véronique Labbé then performed a medley from the album Honky Tonk Bar. Another tribute was paid to Renée Martel by Paul Daraîche and Cindy Bédard, who moved the audience with “Contre Vents et marées.” New country sensation Phil Lauzon performed his song “Because of Yours.” For the closing number of this 10th edition of the Gala Country, the Grande Ourse collective – Andie Therio, Brittany Kennell, Fred Dionne, Guillaume Lafond, Phil G. Smith, Vince Lemire, and Francis Degrandpré – gathered onstage to perform some of their original compositions, as well as songs from their respective repertoires.

Complete List of Winners

Songwriter of the Year
Francis Degrandpré

Song of the Year
“Bang Bang”
Performer: Francis Degrandpré
Songwriter: Vince Lemire

Album of the Year- Classic Country
Véronique Labbé – Honky Tonk Bar

Album of the Year – Contemporary Country
Francis Degrandpré – Soir de quai

Album of the Year – Other Languages
Phil Lauzon – Phil Lauzon

Duo or Group of the Year
Lendemain de veille

Female Artist of the Year
Annie Blanchard

Male Artist of the Year
Matt Lang

Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Sandrine Hébert 

Live Show of the Year
Lendemain de veille

Promoter of the Year
LASSO Montréal

Radio Show of the Year
Cormier Hot Franco, hosted by Stéphane Cormier

TV Show of the Year
Aller-retour Country, hosted by Karo Laurendeau

Public Choice Award
Sandrine Hébert