Photo by Kyle Laurin. Left to right/De gauche à droite : SOCAN's Vanessa Thomas / de la SOCAN with/avec Jess Moskaluke; Tyler Joe Miller, Moskaluke, and/et Mitch Merrett; Lindsay Ell.

SOCAN presents three country No. 1 Song Awards during 2021 CCMA Awards week

Story by Howard Druckman | Tuesday November 30th, 2021

SOCAN Vice President,  Member and Industry Relations, Vanessa Thomas, presented SOCAN No. 1 Song Awards to the co-writers of three chart-topping country songs, during the 2021 Canadian Country  Music Association Awards week: Jess Moskaluke’s “Country Girls,” Tyler Joe Miller’s “I Would Be Over Me Too,” and Lindsay Ell’s “wAnt me back” (sic).

Thomas presented the No. 1 Award for “Country Girls” to Moskaluke in London, Ontario, during the CCMA Awards weekend, Nov. 26-29, 2021. The song was co-written by Moskaluke, Emily Shackleton, and Corey Crowder, and reached the top of the Billboard Canada Country Chart on March 14, 2020.

At the same time, Thomas presented the No. 1 Award for “I Would Be Over Me Too” to Tyler Joe Miller and co-writer Mitch Merrett. The song was co-written by Miller, Merrett, and Kelly Archer, and published by Downtown Music Canada. It scaled the peak of the Billboard Canada Country Chart on Oct. 31, 2020.

In Toronto, Thomas surprised Lindsay Ell with a SOCAN No. 1 Song Award for “wAnt me back” (sic) while she was onstage for a pre-CCMAs show at Toronto’s Axis Club on Nov. 25, 2021. The song was co-written by Ell, Kane Brown, Matt McGinn, and Lindsay Rimes, published by BMG Rights Management, and topped the Billboard Canada Country Chart on Dec. 12, 2020.

SOCAN congratulates all of the songwriters and publishers of these chart-topping songs!

Photo by Brad Ardley via Zoom

Video Interview: Why doesn’t Dean Brody trust songs he writes too quickly?

Story by Howard Druckman | Wednesday December 1st, 2021

It’s been a good 2021 for Dean Brody. At press time, the renowned country singer-songwriter had just earned his 18th Canadian Country  Music Association Award. His “Boys” duet with country music’s fastest-rising star Mickey Guyton, reached No. 1 this year, and was certified gold. His song with The Reklaws, “Can’t Help Myself,” went platinum in less than a year. He’s made music for more than 12 years now, earning more than 30 Top 10 singles, and more than 235 million cumulative global streams.

In a conversation with SOCAN, he tells us why he doesn’t trust songs he writes too quickly, how it feels to play live again, writing “I’d Go to Jail,” singing “Boys” with Guyton, and writing solo versus co-writing.

Click to the image to watch the video with Dean Brody

Click to the image to watch the video with Dean Brody

Photo by Brad Ardley

Dallas Smith wins big at 2021 Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards

Story by Howard Druckman | Tuesday November 30th, 2021

Dallas Smith was the big winner at the 2021 Canadian Country Music Association Awards (CCMAs), where he took home three honours – for Entertainer, Male Artist, Single of the Year (for “Like A Man”), and Top Selling Canadian Album of the Year (for Timeless) – as the ceremony was live-streamed from London, Ontario, on the Global TV App and Prime Video, and broadcast live on radio stations Country 105 (Calgary), CISN (Edmonton), and Country 104 (London).

SOCAN presented the Songwriters of the Year Award to the co-writers of Lady A’s No. 1 hit song “Champagne Night,” including SOCAN members Madeline Merlo, Dave “Dwave” Thomson,  and Patricia Conroy (as well as Ester Dean, Andrew DeRoberts, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Shane McAnally, Tina Parol, Hillary Scott, and Ryan Tedder). Conroy, a member of SOCAN’s Board of Directors, was also inducted into the  Canadian Country Music Association Hall of Fame.

Tenille Townes earned two awards, for Female Artist and Album of the Year (for The Lemonade Stand), while Brett Kissel won the Fans’ Choice Award for the third year in a row. The Reklaws also earned two honours, for Group or Duo of the Year and Top Selling Canadian Single of the Year (for their collaboration with co-winner Dean Brody, “Can’t Help Myself”).

Warner Chappell Music Canada earned the Music Publishing Company of the Year Award, while Robyn Ottolini received her first CCMA honour with the Rising Star Award. Lindsay Ell, who co-hosted the live-streamed awards (along with Canada’s Drag Race season one winner Priyanka), also won for Interactive Artist or Group of the Year.

For a full list of the live-streamed award winners, click here; for the industry awards gala winners, click here. The awards will be broadcast on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Global.

SOCAN congratulates all of its members who won Canadian Country Music Awards this year!