Photo by Julien Lavoie/APCM

Trille Or Awards 2021 honour French Canadian music

Story by Eric Parazelli | Tuesday June 22nd, 2021

The 11th Trille Or Awards, produced by APCM (Association des professionnels de la chanson et de la musique), took place on June 19, 2021, in the Babs Asper Theatre of Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, and were broadcast on Unis TV and TV Rogers Ottawa. Some 20 artists were featured, onstage and online.

Trille Or, Medhi Cayenne, 2021

Medhi Cayenne

The final 10 Trille Or trophies were presented as part of a Zoom show hosted by actor Vincent Poirier, and staged under the artistic direction of SOCAN member Isabelle Longnus. The evening’s top winner, musician Mehdi Cayenne, took home three awards, including one for Best Songwriter, during the Industry Gala on May 28, 2021.

A mixture of live and recorded performances, the show included numerous performances by artists from all parts the country, celebrating the artistic  excellence of French Canadian music. They included Mélissa Ouimet, De Flore, Mimi O’Bonsawin, Chloé Breault, Rayannah, Les Soliloques, Reney Ray, Cristian De La Luna, Loig Morin, Louis Venne, and éemi.

Trille Or, Cano, Nicolas Fedor, 2021, CSHF, PACC

L-R/G-D: Nick Fedor, Cano

The Trille Or Awards also provided the setting for the online induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) of two songs by the Franco-Ontarian group Cano, “Dimanche après-midi” (written by (André Paiement), and “Baie Sainte-Marie” (co-written Marcel Aymar, David Burt, John Doerr, and Wasyl Kohut), among a host of other great Canadian songs. CSHF Director Nicholas Fedor was on hand to do the honours.

Last but not least, musical artist Anique Granger brought the show to an end, along with several of the guest artists, by celebrating the career Prix Hommage recipient Daniel Lavoie.

The winners of the 2021 Trille Or Awards are:

Best Songwriter
Mehdi Cayenne

Best Solo Artist
Mehdi Cayenne

Best Group
Geneviève et Alain

Best New Artist
De Flore

Best Album
Mehdi Cayenne for “Radio Batata”

Best Acadian Music Album  
Les Hay Babies for “Boîte aux lettres”

Best EP
De Flore for “Figure Déserte”

Best Song
“Red Flag,” by Marie-Clo

Best Show
Anique Granger

Prix Hommage
Daniel Lavoie

Congratulations to all the winners!

For more information on winners and nominees, visit www.trilleor.ca.

 

Register now for SOCAN Foundation / TuneCore Creative Entrepreneur Summit for Emerging Music Creators

Story by SOCAN Foundation / Fondation SOCAN | Wednesday June 23rd, 2021

The SOCAN Foundation, part of the SOCAN Group of companies, has partnered with TuneCore, the world’s leading independent digital music distributor, owned by Paris-based Believe, to launch the Creative Entrepreneur Summit, an online, interactive event geared towards enhancing the business acumen of emerging music creators and industry professionals. The summit will be held on July 20-29, 2021.

Music creators from across Canada can attend the six-day, live-streamed event, which will cover a host of discussions led by expert speakers. Topics explored will relate to music and business, including sessions on publishing, distribution, licensing, and legal fundamentals. Workshops will cover entrepreneurism, social strategy, data analytics, business planning, and more. Speakers include TuneCore’s Director of U.S. & Canada, Dan Rutman, TikTok Canada’s Music Lead, Jordan Sowunmi, Warner Music Group’s Director of Data and Insights, Christine Osazuwa, and many more.

“The music industry is a complex ecosystem, especially for emerging music creators pursuing their dreams,” said Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of SOCAN Foundation. “The goal of the Creative Entrepreneur Summit is to empower the next generation of musical artists to develop their business skills and entrepreneurial aptitude, so they can turn their talent and passion into sustainable careers.”

Rutman said, “It was important to TuneCore to join with SOCAN Foundation as the lead partner for the Creative Entrepreneur Summit, as both organizations have a shared track record for innovation, and developing programming in support of independent artists. This series of informative panels and inclusive workshops further defines our ambitions to inspire independent artists across Canada, and around the world.”

The summit will be live streamed on EventMobi, and registration for the event includes an all-access pass to more than 18 panels and workshops, as well as a code for a free single distributed via TuneCore. Anyone interested in attending the Creative Entrepreneur Summit is encouraged to register here.

For more information about the Creative Entrepreneur Summit, visit socan.swoogo.com/creativeentrepreneur or e-mail foundation@socan.com.

Additional summit partners include Music Publishers Canada, APEM, the Songwriters Association of Canada, the Screen Composers Guild of Canada, SPACQ, and Chartmetric.

Leonard Sumner earns 2021 Indigenous Songwriter Award

Story by SOCAN Foundation / Fondation SOCAN | Friday June 18th, 2021

The SOCAN Foundation, with the support of TD Bank Group and Indigenous Music Awards, has presented the third annual TD Indigenous Songwriter Award to Leonard Sumner.

Sumner, a member of SOCAN, accepted the award and the accompanying $10,000 cash award and a beautifully crafted hand drum made by Robert Caribou and painted by Patrick Ross, in addition to mentorship and a showcase opportunity facilitated by Indigenous Music Awards and SOCAN Foundation.

“When I got the call on Monday, I didn’t recognize the number and thought it might have been a spam call saying I won a trip or something,” said Sumner. “However, upon finding out that I was the recipient of this award… I had a small celebration with my daughter and wife who were with me in the living room and listening on speaker. I am grateful and appreciative; this definitely goes a long way for an independent artist.”

An Anishinaabe MC and singer-songwriter, Sumner tells stories that flow directly from the shores of Little Saskatchewan First Nation, located in the heart of the Interlake of Manitoba. Sumner’s self-determined sound is evidence of his ability to simultaneously occupy landscapes of multiple musical genres, including hip-hop, spoken word, country, and R&B. With every vibration of the strings on his guitar, Leonard rattles the dust off truths that have been buried for far too long. On stage he poetically sings awake the consciousness of audiences may have been unaware of their slumber. In this era of unsettling history and healing wounds of the past, Sumner’s music is an expression of medicine that walks the line between fortitude and fragility. His current (second) album is Thunderbird.

“Indigenous artists continue to frontier a pathway that fosters tradition and innovation in music creation. The Indigenous Songwriter Award recognizes artistic excellence in songwriting achieved by an Indigenous music creator in Canada, and we’re proud to partner with TD and the Indigenous Music Awards to celebrate extraordinary music creators, such as Leonard,” said Wall-Andrews. “The award is a significant part of our ongoing, mutual efforts with TD and the Indigenous Music Awards to foster, promote and create opportunities for Indigenous music creators.”

“The Indigenous Music Awards is very excited for Leonard Sumner and congratulate him on being the recipient of the 2020 SOCAN Foundation and TD Bank Indigenous Songwriter Award.  Leonard’s music inspires through his lyrical poetry, the sharing of stories through song, and connecting with the music lover in every generation,” said Jacquie Black, manager of the Indigenous Music and Arts Program. A virtual showcase of Sumner will be premiered on the Indigenous Music Awards Facebook page on June 18, 2021.

The TD Indigenous Songwriter Award is determined by a jury of SOCAN members. This year’s esteemed panel consisted of Kinnie Starr as Jury Chair, Tiffany Ayalik and Amanda Rheaume, who carefully reviewed over 100 submissions from across Turtle Island. Former award recipients include Anachnid and Jasmine Netsena.

“Through the TD Ready Commitment, we seek to highlight artists who are typically under-represented, amplify voices, and help emerging artists as they navigate their careers. TD is proud to support the SOCAN Foundation and the TD Indigenous Songwriter Award to recognize the contributions of and celebrate the musical creations of an Indigenous songwriter in Canada. Congratulations to this year’s winner, Leonard Sumner – thank you for sharing your music with us.” Said Farah Kurji, Senior Manager, Philanthropy, Global Corporate Citizenship, TD Bank Group.

Applications to the 2021 TD Indigenous Songwriter Awards will open in the late Summer of 2021. Visit www.socanfoundation.ca for more information about programs, grants and awards.