SOCAN Foundation launches $500,000 relief fund for SOCAN members

Story by The SOCAN Foundation/La Fondation SOCAN | Friday June 26th, 2020

The  SOCAN Foundation has announced the launch of the SOCAN Foundation Relief Fund for SOCAN members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While SOCAN members are self-isolating, the SOCAN Foundation offers this program to provide some financial support to music creators and publishers to get through these unprecedented times,” said Victor Davies, President of the SOCAN Foundation.

This new fund is open to all SOCAN members who have earned more than $500 in royalties in the four most recent SOCAN distributions.

The Board of Directors has allocated a total of $500,000, which will be available for distribution from the SOCAN Foundation Relief Fund, in up to 2,000 grants of $250 each.

Applications will be accepted from June 30, 2020 until Aug. 15, 2020. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications early; once the funds are exhausted, the application portal will be closed.

SOCAN Members can learn more about the program, and access it, by visiting www.socanfoundation.ca.

Alessia Cara wins three honours at 2020 JUNOs, including SOCAN songwriting award

Story by Howard Druckman | Tuesday June 30th, 2020

Alessia Cara won three of the six honours for which she was nominated at the 2020 JUNO Awards, held online only for the first time in its 49-year history, on Monday, June 29. Cara earned the Songwriter of the Year Award, presented by SOCAN, as well as the Album and Pop Album of the Year for The Pains of Growing.

Tory Lanez won Rap Recording of the Year, for Freaky – his third consecutive win in that category. Lanez also became the first artist to ever win, in the same year, in both the Rap Recording and R&B/Soul Recording categories (where he was a co-winner alongside Jessie Reyez and Tainy, for “Feel It Too”).

Shawn Mendes took Single of the Year for the third year in a row, with “Señorita,” his global smash hit with Camila Cabello, and Artist of the Year for the second consecutive time.

The Francophone album of the Year went to Les Louanges, for La nuit est une panthère. Alexandra Stréliski earned Instrumental Album of the Year honours for Inscape, while Dominique Fils-Aimé garnered the Vocal Jazz Album of the Year Award for Stay Tuned!

The Classical Composition of the Year went to Ana Sokolović for Evta, and The Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year went to Celeigh Cardinal, for Stories from a Downtown Apartment. Pup earned the Alternative Album of the Year Award, for Morbid Stuff, and Dawn Tyler Watson won Blues Album of the Year for Mad Love.

While it was unusual to see an awards show online, without any acceptance speeches or thank-yous, the night was highlighted by an exclusive live-in-studio performance by Alessia Cara of “Rooting for You,” and strong, emotional songs from JUNO winners The Dead South (in the Traditional Roots Album category, for Sugar & Joy), Neon Dreams (Breakthrough Group of the Year), and iskwē (in the Music Video category, for “Little Star”).

For a complete list of winners, click here.

SOCAN members now have FREE access to Sessionwire remote recording!

Story by Howard Druckman | Thursday June 25th, 2020

In response to the self-isolation imposed on musicians by the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian company Sessionwire – one of SOCAN’s API (application programming interface) partners – is allowing SOCAN members to use their remote recording software, free, for the rest of 2020.

Designed specifically for professional producers and musicians that need to work together online, Sessionwire solves the problem of connecting and recording music with other artists, whether they work across town or overseas. The new platform already has thousands of members, including session musicians, beat-makers, music teachers, producers, mixers, recording artists, and songwriters – all adapting to the new reality of making music with others directly from their home, office, or studio.

Among its users so far are Chin Injeti, Randy Bachman, Chris Baseford (Nickelback, Shinedown, Rob Zombie), and Kevin Killen (Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, eight-time Grammy Winner). After the pandemic has gone, Sessionwire will remain an excellent creative tool for extending reach, saving time, and cutting costs for music-makers everywhere.

To try it for free, today, just click here.