TORONTO (CelebrityAccess) – On the eve of their centennial, a who’s who of the Canadian music industry gathered Tuesday (September 24) at HISTORY in Toronto to honor Canada’s most successful songwriters, composers, and music publishers at the 34th Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) Awards, the country’s largest celebration dedicated to creators of music.
Drake continues to dominate, being named SOCAN Songwriter of the Year – Performer and took home four additional SOCAN Rap Music Awards for “Jimmy Cooks,” “Rich Flex,” and “Spin Bout U,” with 21 Savage and “Wait For U,” with Future and Tems.
Canadian songwriter, poet, and activist K’naan received the SOCAN Cultural Impact Award for his anthemic “Wavin’ Flag.” The audience joined in for an inspirational finale to a magnificent night featuring a soulful performance of the hit by AHI with Strings From Paris. Strings From Paris also opened the show with a captivating medley featuring winning songs and cues being honored during the evening, including “Jimmy Cooks,” “Die For You,” “Whitney,” “Blame Brett,” and theme music from “Mayor of Kingstown,” “The Rookie” and “Murdoch Mysteries.”
Hosted by Amanda Parris of CBC and TV host Tyrone Edwards, the gala also featured unforgettable performances, including Jade Eagleson and Noeline Hofmann performing country hits “Purple Gas” and “Rodeo Queen.” LU KALA wowed the crowd with a medley, including the global smash “Pretty Girl Era. ” Emerging rapper Skip Waiters performed “Last Words,” and winner of the Vince Fontaine Indigenous Song Award – Sebastian Gaskin performed his hit song “Medicine.”
Arkells were celebrated with the SOCAN National Achievement Award for the tremendous success and impact they have made in Canada. At the same time, Tobias Jesso Jr. received the SOCAN International Achievement Award, a Dance Music Award for “Houdini,” and an R&B Music Award for “Always.” Evan Blair’s global hit “Boyfriend” won International Song, while The Weeknd also secured three SOCAN awards for “Sacrifice,” “Out of Time,” and “Die For You (Remix).”
“The SOCAN Awards continue to be a testament to the power of Canadian storytelling, and we are proud to recognize the brilliance of this community,” said SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown. “Congratulations to all the winners for pushing the boundaries of music creation. Every songwriter, composer and music publisher honoured has inspired the world with their effort and dedication to their craft.”
The evening also saw Keith Power take home his sixth SOCAN Screen Composer of the Year Award, brothers Brian and Caleb Chan earn the SOCAN Breakout Composer Award, and the team of James Chapple, Graeme Cornies, David Kelly, and Brian Pickett secure four SOCAN awards, including Most Streamed Production.
Lauren Spencer Smith received the Breakout Songwriter Award and the Viral Song Award for “Fingers Crossed.” PartyNextDoor received the Viral Song Award, and Deadmau5 won the Dance Music Award.
The Jan V. Matejcek New Classical Music Award went to Dinuk Wijeratne, and the Hagood Hardy Award for Excellence in Global Music went to producer, musician and songwriter Ikky.
Fallsview Casino received the prestigious SOCAN Licensed To Play Award for its commitment to providing a platform for both renowned and emerging artists and diligent adherence to legal and ethical music licensing.
SOCAN Achievement Award winners receive “The SOCAN”—the world’s first and only music industry trophy that is also a musical instrument. It incorporates five custom bronze crotales tuned this year with notes from “Wavin’ Flag” by K’naan.
For a complete list of 2024 SOCAN Award winners, visit: www.socanawards.com
