Photo by Matt Barnes/CCMA

Tenille Townes wins three honours at 2023 CCMAs, including SOCAN Songwriter Award

Story by Howard Druckman | Monday September 18th, 2023

Tenille Townes was the big winner at the 2023 Canadian Country Music Association Awards (CCMAs), where she took home three honours – for Female Artist of the Year (for the fifth year in a row); Country Program of the Year (as the host of Christmas Time with Tenille Townes 2022); and Songwriter of the Year (for “The Thing That Wrecks You,” a duet with Bryan Adams).

SOCAN CEO Jenn Brown and Creative Director Cameron Kennedy presented the songwriter award to Townes – who co-wrote “The Thing That Wrecks You” with Bryan Adams, Daniel Tashian, and Kate York – at the gala ceremonies for the 41st annual edition were held in a broadcast show, televised on CTV, on Sept. 16, 2023, from the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton. Artists were also honoured the previous night at the Music Industry Gala Dinner & Awards.

Jade Eagleson earned both the Male Artist and Entertainer of the Year Awards, as well as one for Innovative Campaign of the Year, for the “She Don’t Know” Wedding Contest. The Reklaws, who hosted the awards broadcast ceremonies, won Top Selling Canadian Album of the Year, for Good Ol’ Days. Jason McCoy and  and Brian Edwards were inducted into Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, and Big Loud Publishing earned the Music Publishing Company of the Year Award, while Dean Brody received the Gary Slaight Music Humanitarian Award.

Earlier in Country Music Week, leading up to the awards weekend, SOCAN Creative Executive Lord Quest – along with representatives from the other rights organizations CMRRA, ACTRA/RACS, MROC, and Connect Music Licensing – participated in Royalties Round Up: The Big Picture Seminar. The session answered questions, filled in gaps, and provided attending CCMA members with greater knowledge of how to handle their royalties.

Access a full list of the winners here.

SOCAN congratulates all of its members and music industry colleagues who won Canadian Country Music Awards this year!

Photo by Infoman/Zone3

Prix Gémeaux 2023 : Clay & Friends come out on top

Story by Eric Parazelli | Monday September 18th, 2023

Clay & Friends, Gémeaux 2023The 38th edition of the Gala de l’industrie des Prix Gémeaux, honouring the artisans of the Québec television industry, was held on Sept. 14, 2023. The ceremony took place at Complexe Desjardins, in Montréal, with two categories dedicated to screen music.

While SOCAN members nominated in the Best Original Score: Fiction or Documentary category were edged out by internationally renowned composers Hans Zimmer and David Flemming (for Xavier Dolan’s series The Night Logan Woke Up), the Best Theme Music: All Categories Award went to Clay & Friends, for their theme song for the TV show Infoman 2022. The song was co-written by Michael Mlakar (Mike Clay) and Samuel Ricard (Sam Rick), and co-composed by Michael Mlakar, Clément Langlois-Légaré, Adel Kazi-Aoual, Pascal Boisseau and Émile Désilets.

We reached Mike Clay on the day after the ceremony, which he was unable to attend, and he had this to say: “There are two things I want to say about this song. For one thing, it’s the only Clay and Friends song I’ve ever co-written with none other than Sam Rick the manager – I can’t wait for his album to come out! Secondly, it’s the only song that I’ve ever written with only one functional knee. It’s also the first time we’ve won a trophy, and I hope there’s no correlation. What a bucket list moment for La Musica Popular de Verdun. Thanks to Jean-René Dufort and the whole Infoman team for this incredible moment. Keep it movin’!”

Congratulations to Clay & Friends, and to all the nominees in the two music categories! For more information on the winners and nominated artists at the Gémeaux, visit the Academy website.

Photo by Brad Ardley

SOCAN presents No. 1 Song Award to Sam Roberts

Story by Howard Druckman | Thursday September 14th, 2023

SOCAN presented Sam Roberts with a No. 1 Song Award for writing “Picture of Love” –  recorded by the Sam Roberts Band – which reached the top of the CBC Music Top 20 chart the week of May 7, 2023.

SOCAN Creative Executive Houtan Hodania and Account Executive Adam Harendorf presented the award to Roberts on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, at the offices of record company Cadence Music in downtown Toronto.

SOCAN congratulates Sam Roberts on another great achievement!

Sam Roberts Band, Picture Of Love

Select the image to play the YouTube video of the Sam Roberts Band song “Picture of Love”