Photo by courtesy / courtoisie. Ebonnie Rowe.

Honey Jam celebrates 25 years

Story by Howard Druckman | Tuesday September 15th, 2020

Honey Jam – the Toronto-based non-profit organization and artist development program fostering young female artists – is celebrating its 25th Anniversary with an online concert experience, live-streamed from Toronto’s newly re-opened El Mocambo, on Thursday, Oct. 1. The event will showcase an array of performances by alumni, paying homage to songs made famous by female artists in a variety of genres.

Honey Jam is an annual program that offers mentoring, education, performance and networking opportunities for female-identifying artists, culminating with a stellar showcase to highlight their growth. Yearly programming includes Honey Jam artists and alumni engaging in workshops, artist talks, songwriting camps, performance and development opportunities, as well as collaborations and travel experiences for the artists to expand their network and fan base outside of Canada.

Over the past 25 years, Torontonians have gathered in the hundreds each year at the showcase, to support and experience powerful voices that drive tomorrow’s music scene. Honey Jam has earned a reputation as a renowned platform and launching pad known for enriching the careers of many alumni,  including LU KALA, Haviah Mighty, TiKA the Creator, SATE, Nelly Furtado, Jully Black, Melanie Fiona, Melanie Durrant, Michie Mee, Jordan Alexander, and many more.

Photo by courtesy / courtoisie. Clockwise from left: Sens d'horloge, de gauche : Zamani, Chuianmaka Azubuike, Madison Maria, Olivia Lunny, Melissa Doyon

Five artists win in 2020 SOCAN Foundation Awards for Young Canadian Songwriters

Story by SOCAN Foundation / Fondation SOCAN | Wednesday September 16th, 2020

For the third consecutive year, the SOCAN Foundation has awarded five cash prizes of $5,000 each to young music creators from across the country, aged 21 or less, who won its Young Canadian Songwriters Award, sponsored by Sirius XM.

“The Young Canadian Songwriter Awards are made possible with our ongoing partnership with SiriusXM Canada, which has allowed for the opportunity to celebrate, empower, and identify the next generation of songwriters in Canada,” said Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of SOCAN Foundation. “All award recipients are ‘ones to watch’ as they evolve in their careers, and contribute to advancing Canadian music.”

We wish to congratulate the following winners:

  • Zamani Millar, for “Sway the World”
  • Chiamaka Azubuike, for “Ceilings”
  • Madison Maria, for “Closer”
  • Olivia Lunny, for “Bedsheets”
  • Mélissa Doyon, for “Chaque fois”

The jury was composed of renowned songwriters from various musical horizons (Melissa Laveaux, Ewan Currie, Mike Clay, Rose Cousins, and Kayo), who together reviewed each of the 200 entries to find the candidates who stood out the most for the quality of their songwriting. It’s worth noting that all of the winners are young women.

“It was a pleasure to bear witness to the high calibre of Canada’s next wave of young songwriters,” said juror Ewan Currie, frontman of The Sheepdogs.

For more information on SOCAN Foundation award winners, click here. The registration deadlines for the 2021 SOCAN Foundation Awards will be posted on the organization’s website in the early months of 2021.

Photo by courtesy of / courtoisie du Gala Country

Gala Country 2020: Léa Jarry wins SOCAN Songwriter of the Year Award

Story by Eric Parazelli | Tuesday September 15th, 2020

The country music community of Québec assembled on Sept. 11, 2020, to celebrate the artists and songs that have most strongly reached country music lovers over the past year. In all, 13 “Willie” Awards were handed out on Stingray’s Palmarès ADISQ channel to celebrate the achievements of Francophone Canadian artists and craftspeople and Anglophone Québec artists and craftspeople who stood out in 2019.

SOCAN was once again a partner in the celebration, and the SOCAN Songwriter of the Year Award was presented by our Chief Quebec Affairs & Visual Arts Officer, Geneviève Côté. This prestigious award went to the talented Léa Jarry, who’ll also have the opportunity to enjoy a free creative stay at the SOCAN House in Nashville as soon as circumstances allow.

Jarry expressed her appreciation for SOCAN’s work with these words in her acceptance speech:

The Gala Country 2020 winners are:

  • Original Song Album of the Year: “Si on y allait” (Patrick Norman)
  • Covers Album of the Year: Laurence Jalbert au pays de Nana Mouskouri (Laurence Jalbert)
  • SOCAN Songwriter of the Year: Léa Jarry
  • Song of the Year: “La Gibson de mon père” (Performer: Patrick Norman; Songwriter: Danny Boudreau)
  • Breakthrough Artist of the Year, sponsored by Paja Communications: Beauséjour
  • Promoter of the Year: Festival Country de Lotbinière
  • Radio Show of the Year: En route vers l’ouest with Véronique Labbé
  • TV Show of the Year: Tout simplement country with Guylaine Tanguay
  • Group of the Year: Beauséjour
  • Female Artist of the Year: Laurence Jalbert
  • Male Artist of the Year: Patrick Norman
  • Show of the Year: Matt Lang
  • People’s Choice Award: Daniel Bertrand

SOCAN warmly congratulates all Gala Country 2020 winners!