More than 50 awards will be handed out to Qu bec’s music creators and publishers at the SOCAN Awards Gala to be held for the thirtieth time in Montr al on Sunday, September 22, at TOHU in a spectacular anniversary edition honouring the talent and accomplishments of music creators past, present and future.
The event will be hosted by the sensational Pierre-Yves Lord, and the
colourful Antoine Gratton will conduct a live orchestra illustrating the
essential impact that music adds to a production and the achievements of
SOCAN’s most successful screen composers, songwriters and publishers of the
year.
Marking the 30th edition of the SOCAN Gala and receiving the 2019 SOCAN Cultural Impact Award will be Diane Juster‘s “Je ne suis qu’une chanson,” made popular by the great Ginette Reno. The song has made a deep impact indeed on Qu bec culture, brilliantly highlighting the essential bond between singer and songwriter.
The SOCAN Lifetime Achievement Award will go to composer and pianist Andr Gagnon in recognition of his outstanding career, the 2019 SOCAN Songwriter of the Year award will go to Cœur de pirate, and the newly-created SOCAN Non-Performing Songwriter Of The Year award will go to the creator behind many 2 Fr res hits, Steve Marin.
This year’s SOCAN Classic Awards will be saluting the songs “Belle,” “Le temps des cath drales,” and “Vivre,” timeless classics written by Luc Plamondon and Richard Cocciante for the musical “Notre-Dame de Paris,” which coincidentally turns 20 this year. With these three awards, Plamondon becomes the first SOCAN member ever to achieve 40 SOCAN Classics.
At the other end of the spectrum, Jean Leloup will receive his first
three SOCAN Classic Awards for cowriting “1990”, “Isabelle”
and “Cookie.” The co-creator of “1990” James Di Salvio
will also see one of the songs of his band Bran Van 3000 (“Drinking
in L.A.”) being rewarded. Mario Pelchat (“Je ne t’aime
plus”), Florent Vollant and Claude McKenzie of Kashtin (“E
Uassiuian”), Nancy Dumais and Tino Izzo (“Parler aux
anges”), Lili Fatale‘s Nathalie Courchesne, Richard
Binette, Uranian Valceanu and Martin Beaulieu
(“Feels” and “Mimi”) and co-authors of “Soul
Pleureur” from Quebec rap pioneers Dubmatique will also receive
SOCAN Classic Awards.
Gilles Valiquette will receive the SOCAN Special Achievement
Award for his crucial role in upholding the rights of music creators
through his tireless work in the industry, including 26 years as a member of
SOCAN’s Board of Directors.
The prolific couple Louise Tremblay and James Gelfand will receive the SOCAN Screen Composer of the Year Award for their contribution to productions such as Girls’ Night Out, Final Destiny, and Darwin.
Montr al’s music producer team, Banx & Ranx, will be honoured
with the SOCAN International Award in recognition of the spectacular success of
their hits “Answerphone”, which has achieved platinum certification
in the UK.
The SOCAN Pop Music Awards will go to the most-played songs of 2018, while
the leaders of Qu bec’s rap pack Fouki and Alaclair Ensemble will
both receive the SOCAN Hip-Hop/Rap Award. Charlotte Cardin will be
honoured with the SOCAN Anglophone Popular Music Award for her song “Main
Girl,” the Country Music Award will go to phenom Matt Lang, and
Montr al’s own ambassador of electronic music, Marie Davidson, will
receive the Award for that category.
The remarkable work accomplished by music publishers will also be saluted during the gala, and the SOCAN Publisher of the Year Award will be presented to David Murphy et Cie.
“The music industry and SOCAN have changed considerably since the first
Montreal Gala in 1989,” said SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste. “But what
hasn’t changed are the passion, talent and relevance of SOCAN’s songwriters,
composers and publishers and the importance of honouring their fantastic work.
The 30th edition of the Gala will no doubt be a great opportunity to look back
with appreciation and gratitude on the major players of the past while
celebrating the ever-increasing success of current creators. It will be another
memorable night.”
Each of the SOCAN Special Awards winners will receive The SOCAN, the
first and only major music industry trophy that is also a musical instrument.
The complete list of SOCAN Awards Gala winners will be published on the
evening of September 22.
Montr al’s SOCAN Awards Gala is the Francophone equivalent of the annual SOCAN Awards in Toronto, which celebrates the songwriters, composers and publishers who work mainly in English.
