Photo by SOCAN

The Weeknd keeps winning, hitting a record in our 2021 SOCAN Awards

Story by SOCAN | Thursday May 27th, 2021

Click here for a Complete List of 2021 SOCAN Awards Winners

Global superstar and SOCAN member The Weeknd has achieved yet another milestone by gaining five SOCAN Awards for his accomplishments in 2020, matching fellow SOCAN member Shawn Mendes as the most-awarded SOCAN member in a single year.

After dominating the Billboard Music Awards, The Weeknd adds the coveted SOCAN Songwriter of the Year Award, the SOCAN International Song Award for the smash hit “Blinding Lights,” two SOCAN Pop Music Awards, and a SOCAN R&B Music Award.

Honouring Canada’s most successful songwriters, composers and music publishers, the 32nd annual SOCAN Awards are being held online for the second year.

Follow @socanmusic on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (#SOCANawards) and go to socanawards.com to join in the celebration of more than 50 award winners announced today, and a special performance by JJ Wilde of Eddie Schwartz’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.” Special virtual presentations will include SOCAN members Drake, Lido Pimienta, Shawn Mendes, OZ, Tenille Arts, and many more music creators and publishers who exemplify the incredible domestic and international success of Canadian music creation.

SOCAN Special Achievement Awards:

  • The Weeknd. The Weeknd is honoured for the second time with the SOCAN Songwriter of the Year – Performer Award. In addition to this most prestigious prize, he also takes home the SOCAN International Song Award, two SOCAN Pop Music Awards, for the international hits “Blinding Lights” and “Heartless,” and a SOCAN R&B Award for “In Your Eyes.”
  • Eddie Schwartz. His impact as a songwriter on the international music scene is undeniable, and his truly iconic song, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” holds a special place in music history. An anthem of empowerment and resilience, not only was the song Schwartz’s earliest hit as a songwriter for another artist, but it would see singer Pat Benatar achieve her first Billboard Top 10 single. “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and Eddie Schwartz will be honoured with the SOCAN Cultural Impact Award.
  • SOCAN Guardian Award. The most significant act of government prioritizing Canadian music, the Broadcasting Act, made sure that the work of Canadian music creators was properly promoted for the prosperity of Canadian culture. The SOCAN Guardian Award honours the 24 industry and government leaders who championed Canadian content legislation, ensuring Canadian art and storytelling could be discovered and thrive. Their contributions of a half-century ago inspire us as we look to the future, and how we will continue to nurture Canada’s music creators in the digital era.
  • Keith Power. For his incredible music contributions to such television productions as Heartland and Hawaii Five-O, Keith Power is celebrated for a fourth time with the SOCAN Screen Composer of the Year Award, the SOCAN Domestic Television Music Award – Fiction Programming, and the SOCAN International Television Series Music Award.
  • Frank Dukes. Dukes continues to dominate the world of production, receiving his fourth consecutive SOCAN Songwriter of The Year – Producer Award. Producing for many of the biggest names in music, including the global chart-toppers “My Oh My” by Camila Cabello feat. DaBaby, and “Monster” by Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber.
  • Tate McRae. In 2020 Tate McRae’s single “You Broke Me First” became one of the biggest international hits of the year. This followed her amassing tens of millions of streams on her debut single “Tear Myself Apart,” co-penned with Billie Eilish and Finneas, and being added as the youngest musician to the 2020 Forbes “30 Under 30” list. Tate McRae is being honoured with the SOCAN Breakout Songwriter Award and a SOCAN Pop Music Award.
  • peermusic Canada Inc. For their investment in music creation and commitment to the long-term success of music creators in 2020, peermusic receives the SOCAN Publisher of the Year Award.
  • The SOCAN Licensed To Play Award goes to Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canada’s pre-eminent classical music organization, for providing much-needed online concerts, while continuing to recognize the value of music and importance of music rights by adhering to legal and ethical music licensing.

“In a difficult year, the incredible work of Canada’s music creators and publishers has never been more important and meaningful,” said SOCAN interim CEO Jennifer Brown. “2020 reminded us of the deep connection we have with music, and the huge role it plays in our mental and emotional health. We will continue to advocate for a country in which music creation is fairly valued and rewarded.”

Music fans can support music creators by donating to the official charitable partners of the SOCAN Awards, the Unison Benevolent Fund and the SOCAN Foundation, organizations that work to assist deserving musicians, music creators and music publishers in their lives and careers.

SOCAN Achievement Award winners are determined collaboratively between the SOCAN Board of Directors’ Membership Committee and the leaders of SOCAN’s Membership department. They receive “The SOCAN” – the world’s first and only music industry trophy that’s also a musical instrument, incorporating five custom bronze crotales created by world-class percussion instrument maker SABIAN of New Brunswick.

The annual Gala de la SOCAN, which celebrates and honours the work of SOCAN’s Francophone members, will be held in a similar event later this year.

A complete list of winners can be found at 2021 SOCAN Awards.

Photo by , left to right/de gauche à droite: John Arano (Ian Cusson) Val Parenas (Harm Franklin), Emma-Lee Photography (Madeline Merlo), Genelle Cruz (Tate McRae), David D. Barajas (Lido Pimienta), Heather Pollock (Cheryl Link)

Get to know some of our 2021 SOCAN Award winners!

Story by Howard Druckman | Thursday May 27th, 2021

Want to get to know some of our 2021 SOCAN Award winners a little better?

Then click here and scroll down to check out some short video interviews with concert music and opera composer Ian Cusson; R&B/rap/pop singer-songwriter Harm Franklin; country singer and songsmith Madeline Merlo; teen pop phenomenon and songwriting force Tate McRae; and internationally successful singer-songwriter Lido Pimienta with Cheryl Link, Senior Creative Director of Pimienta’s publisher, peermusic Canada.

Ian Cusson (winner of the Jan V. Matejcek Award) discusses his composing throughout 2020, his work on diversity at the Banff Centre for the Arts, how he first discovered opera, and his very collaborative music-writing process.

Harm Franklin (winner of a Viral Song Award, for “Stunnin’”) talks about how he co-wrote the SOCAN Award-winning song, celebrated his success with another song, “Last Year,” and plans to mix Punjabi with English as he moves forward.

Tate McRae (winner of the Breakout Songwriter of the Year Award, and a Pop Music Award for “You Broke Me First”), the billion-streaming singer-songwriter, tells us how she co-wrote her breakthrough song, how her writing process works,  and how she retains control of her career.

Madeline Merlo (winner of a Country Music Award for “Champagne Night”) tells the amazing Cinderella story of how co-writing the SOCAN Award-winning song completely changed her life.

Lido Pimienta (winner of the Hagood Hardy Award for Global Music) with Cheryl Link of peermusic Canada inc. (which won the Publisher of the Year Award), discuss how they work together to discover and leverage opportunities to further the songwriter’s career.

Congratulations once again to all of these 2021 SOCAN Award winners!

Apply now for 2021 SOCAN Foundation Awards of more than $97,000 in total

Story by Howard Druckman | Wednesday May 26th, 2021

Canadian Music creators are invited to apply now for the 2021 edition of three separate annual SOCAN Foundation Awards: for Young Composers, Emerging Screen Composers, and Young Canadian Songwriters.

The SOCAN Foundation Awards for Young Composers are designed to recognize Canadian composers who are 30 years of age and under, for original concert music works in the following five categories: large ensemble, chamber ensemble, solo or duet, vocal, and electroacoustics. Four prizes will be offered in each of five categories: 1st Prize is $3,000; 2nd Prize is $2,250; 3rd Prize is $1,500; the Young Composer Prize is $1,500 (awarded to someone 21 years of age and younger); and the Grand Prize of $5,000 for the best overall work may also be awarded. The deadline for applications is June 15, 2021.

The SOCAN Foundation Awards for Emerging Screen Composers are designed to recognize Canadian composers who are 30 years of age and under, for original musical themes or scores created exclusively for audio-visual support (TV, film, Internet, and so on). Two prizes – a 1st Prize of $3,000 and a 2nd Prize of  $2,250 – will be awarded in each of four categories: Best Original Theme (opening or closing), Best Original Score – Fiction, Best Original Score – Animated, and Best Original Score – Non-Fiction. A Grand Prize of $5,000 for the best overall work may also be awarded. The deadline for applications is June 15, 2021.

The SOCAN Foundation Awards for Young Canadian Songwriters was created through a joint partnership with Sirius XM Canada Inc., and is designed to celebrate emerging and talented songwriters in Canada. Submissions to the talent competition must be from genres of popular music, such as folk, blues, rock ‘n’ roll, hip-hop, R&B, etc. Songwriters that are age 21 or younger, Canadian citizens, and the original creators of the musical submission are eligible to apply. Five awards, valued at $5,000 each, will be granted to the finalists, and the deadline for applications is July 15, 2021.

For more information, or to apply for any of these awards, click here.