Photo by Maryse Boyce

Francouvertes announces 2019 participants

Story by Eric Parazelli | Tuesday February 12th, 2019

The 2019 edition of the annual competition Les Francouvertes kicked off with a performance by last year’s winner, LaF, at Montréal’s Lion d’Or, on Feb. 11, 2019. The 21 contestants in this key competition have been announced and, once more, SOCAN will support the event by presenting the “J’aime mes ex” concert series, wherein 10 Francouvertes alumni perform as opening acts in the first and semi-final rounds of the contest.

SOCAN also sponsors the Paroles & Musique Award, a $1,000 cash prize that will be awarded to one of the semi-finalists for their songwriting talent.

These prizes are part of a plethora of rewards, grants, and concert opportunities that will be awarded this year. All told, 21 artists and bands from Québec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia will participate in the preliminary round of this 23rd edition over seven nights at Lion D’Or, every Monday from Feb. 18 to April 1st: Miles Barnes, CE7TE LIFE: David Campana, Shotto Guapo and Major, Marie-Gold (Feb. 18) – Anaïs Constantin, Simon Daniel, Foisy (Feb. 25) – Comment Debord, P’tit Belliveau et les Grosses Coques, Alex Burger (March 4) – Olivier Lessard, vice E roi, Thierry Larose (March 11) – Kirouac & Kodakludo, O.G.B, Suprême Sans Plomb (March 18) – Cosmophone, Titelaine, Dear Denizen (March 25) – Fria Moeras, Poulin, BIRMANI (Apr. 1st).

The semifinals will be held on March 15-16-17, still at Lion d’Or, and the final round will be held at Club Soda on Monday, May 6.

The ten “exes” that will open each evening as part of the “J’aime mes ex” series are:
Shawn Jobin (Feb. 18)
Keith Kouna (Feb. 25)
Lydia Képinski (March 4)
Juste Robert (March 11)
Jérôme 50 (March 18)
Fanny Bloom (March 25)
Philippe Brach (Apr. 1)
Laurence-Anne (Apr. 15)
Les sœurs Boulay (Apr. 16)
Mélanie Venditti (Apr. 17)

This year’s co-spokespersons for the event are Saramée and Karim Ouellet, taking over from Klô Pelgag and Benoit Pinette (Tire le coyote), and the events will be hosted by SOCAN member Isabelle Ouimet. To find out more about the 23rd edition of the Francouvertes, visit the event’s website (French only).

Photo by B. “BJ” Houston-Johnson. Left to right/De gauche à droite: SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste/chef de la direction de la SOCAN; Murda Beatz; SOCAN"s Rodney Murphy/de la SOCAN; Jessie Reyez; Boi-1da.

Murda Beatz, Jessie Reyez, Boi-1da attend 2019 SOCAN pre-Grammy party

Story by Howard Druckman, with files from SOCAN A&R | Tuesday February 12th, 2019

SOCAN member and 2019 Producer of the Year Grammy nominee Boi-1da, along with superstar hip-hop/R&B producer/co-writer Murda Beatz, a music creator behind five Grammy-nominated songs or albums; Grammy-nominated producer T-Minus; co-writer of Shawn Mendes’ Grammy-nominated “In My Blood,” Geoff Warburton; and 2019 Best R&B Performance Grammy co-winner Daniel Caesar’s producers/co-writers Matthew Burnett and Jordan Evans; R&B sensation Jessie Reyez; and hit song writer and film composer Stephan Moccio, all attended the SOCAN pre-Grammy party. The reception took place the evening of Feb. 7, 2019, at The Sunset Marquis in Los Angeles, to celebrate our Grammy-nominated members and their teams.

Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans

Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans

Held just before the 61st annual Grammy Awards show, the party offered an opportunity for SOCAN to celebrate the hard work and success of our songwriters, producers, music publishers, and other members, many achieving massive global success. It also gave us a chance to build and foster relationships with them, their professional music business representatives, and other music industry influencers and decision-makers.

Also among the many notable attendees were superstar producer/songwriter Sevn Thomas; dance music phenomenon duo Loud Luxury; country star Tebey; Vancouver-based rapper Sonreal; former Sum 41 Frontman Deryck Whibley; hip-hop/R&B producers/songwriters DZL and Nikhil Seetharam; country singer-songwriter duo The Reklaws; publisher Kim Temple of Six Shooter Records; Ivan Evidente, Director of A&R for Universal Music Canada; Ibrahim Hamad, President of rapper J Cole’s Dreamville Records; and Zaib Shaikh and Gavin Nardocchio-Jones of the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles, which supported the event.

Attending on behalf of SOCAN were CEO Eric Baptiste; President of the Board of Directors Marc Ouellette; Chief Membership & Business Development Officer Michael McCarty; Director, A&R, Rodney Murphy; Chief Operating Officer & Head of Sales of Dataclef Services, Janice Scott; Director, International Business Development & Compliance, Steven Ambers; Executive Director of the SOCAN-owned Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, Vanessa Thomas; Senior A&R Executive Erica Grayson; and SOCAN A&R Representatives Aidan D’Aoust, Racquel Villagante, , and Camille Mathews.

SOCAN was also out in full force during pre-Grammy week, to meet with our members, conduct business meetings, attend other Grammy events, and continue to build relationships with top U.S. attorneys, industry professionals and media.

Photo by Rob Latour/Rex/Shutterstock (Drake, Shawn Mendes), courtesy of/courtoisie de Grammy Awards (Daniel Caesar).

Drake, Daniel Caesar earn 2019 Grammy Awards

Story by Howard Druckman | Monday February 11th, 2019

SOCAN members Drake and Daniel Caesar won, and Shawn performed alongside Miley Cyrus, at the 61st annual Grammy Awards, held Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019. Caesar won at a ceremony earlier in the day, while Drake and Mendes were part of the evening gala, broadcast live, worldwide, from The Staples Center in Los Angeles.

A seven-time nominee, Drake won Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan,” whose co-writers include his longtime SOCAN member producers/collaborators/co-writers Boi-1da and Noah “40” Shebib. Making a rare appearance to accept the award, Drake said, “You’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you are a hero in your hometown. If there’s people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this [a Grammy Award] right here, I promise you, you already won.” He tried to continue speaking, but was cut off as the show cut to a commercial.

Daniel Caesar shared a Best R&B Performance Grammy with H.E.R. for their co-written and co-performed duo, “Best Part.” Caesar’s usual co-writing/production team of SOCAN members Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans, and Riley Bell are also co-writers on the song. All were also indirectly honoured because the song is included on H.E.R.’s eponymous debut EP, which earned Best R&B Album. Other SOCAN member co-writers/producers on the recording include Drake, Majid Jordan, Noah “40” Shebib, Nineteen85, and Illangelo.

Early in the telecast, Shawn Mendes gave an electrifying performance of his hit song “In My Blood” alongside Miley Cyrus, with whom he’s rumoured to be releasing a new duet single soon. Starting softly at the piano, Mendes soon strapped on an electric guitar, then traded solo vocal lines and duo harmonies with Cyrus, building to a white-hot intensity.

In other winner-connected SOCAN member news, co-writers/producers Frank Dukes, Murda Beatz, and Illangelo lent their skills to Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy, which won Best Rap Album. Stephen “Koz” Kozmeniuk and Michael Sonier were among the co-writers of songs on Best New Artist Dua Lipa’s eponymous debut album. Alex Cuba co-wrote and is featured on “Por Eso Me Voy,” on Claudia Brant’s Sincera, which won Best Latin Pop Album. David Francey wrote the song “Bordeline,” included on The Travelin’ McCourys’ eponymous debut, which won Best Bluegrass Album. And Serban Ghenea played a part in Beck’s Colors, which won Best Alternative Music Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.

SOCAN congratulates our Grammy-winning and winner-connected members on these huge achievements!