Welcome to the 2022 SOCAN Awards!
Jennifer Brown
CEO
For the first time in three years, we’re finally able to present the SOCAN Awards live and in person again, at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Toronto, on Oct. 17, 2022, where we’re celebrating the great accomplishments of Canada’s songwriters, screen composers, and music publishers in 2021.
I want to begin by saying thank you.
At SOCAN, we pride ourselves on our hard work and dedication to our members.
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It is their partnership, professionalism, and commitment to keeping us accountable that motivates us to do better every day, and we deeply appreciate them.
We are in this together, but we also know our members depend on us to go the extra mile.
I could not be prouder of how our employees have come together over these last two challenging years to support each other and deliver for our members.
We continue our work to build a culture where all voices can contribute, every employee is supported, and everyone feels a true sense of belonging.
It is because of our team’s elevated collective effort and commitment that SOCAN is better positioned than ever for the future.
This year, we have made significant progress toward our business goals, but there are still things we need to achieve next year and beyond.
There always will be, because the journey never ends.
Our collective strategy remains rooted in our commitment to serving our members, helping them navigate an ever-changing landscape, and ensuring they are fairly compensated for their extraordinarily valuable work.
Our collective passion for music and for the business of music is what makes our members, and industry organizations, incredible partners.
We look forward to working together as we travel this road to delivering excellence for songwriters, screen composers and music publishers.
On behalf of everyone at SOCAN,
Thank you.
In Association With:
Achievement Awards
Cultural Impact Award
Tom Cochrane – “Life is a Highway”
The Cultural Impact Award was created to honor music by a SOCAN member that has had a significant lasting cultural impact on society in Canada and/or beyond its borders.
Few songs instantly conjure up images of the perfect road trip: radio blaring, wind in your hair, blue skies as far as the eye can see. Tom Cochrane’s “Life is a Highway” is one of those rare songs that is truly the soundtrack to the open road.
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With over 1 billion streams to date, two JUNOs and a billboard top ten in three countries – this ear worm continues to be an international mega hit. But the journey to the finished song, wasn’t always a smooth ride.
A trip to Western Africa with the World Vision famine relief organization completely changed Cochrane’s life – and his career. The extreme poverty, violence and death he saw on that trip shook him to his core. “Life is a Highway” was his creative salve to what he witnessed.
And just as the inspiration for the song was extremely personal, so were the conditions of the recording. Most of the vocals on the released track were recorded in Cochrane’s small backyard home studio.
When the song hit the airwaves in 1991 it was an instant hit – topping the charts at number one in Canada and earning Cochrane two JUNO Awards, for Single Of The Year and Songwriter Of The Year. The smash single helped Cochrane’s 1991 Mad Mad World album become his most commercially successful ever, with over a million copies sold in Canada alone.
In the last three decades “Life is a Highway” has had countless covers and adaptions with a giant cultural footprint. Most notably the hugely successful country trio Rascal Flatts for use in the Pixar/Disney animated film Cars – bringing Cochrane’s inspirational words to a whole new generation of young fans.
Adaptions of the song have also appeared in fan favourite television series like: Top Gear, Family Guy and The Office. Hollywood blockbusters like:There Goes the Neighbourhood, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Thelma and Lousie. And even video games like Lego Rock Band.
Cochrane’s lyrics have even transformed the driving experience here in Canada. In 2016, a section of highway in Manitoba was re-named “Tom Cochrane’s Life Is a Highway.” This stretch of road starts in his hometown of Lynn Lake, and ends in the city of Thompson.
With its driving vocals and anthemic chorus, this iconic song continues to encourage listeners that they can get through anything life throws at them. This furiously upbeat song itself continues to be the ultimate pep talk that we’ve so desperately needed these past few years.
It’s been a heck of a ride.
International Achievement Award
OZ
The International Achievement Award is given to a SOCAN member or members who have brought International recognition to Canada through their music in 2021.
Born in the small town of Toggenburg, Switzerland, OZ hails from a region of the world better known for yodeling, chocolate and cheese, than rap and R&B.
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Ozan Yildirim, otherwise known as OZ, has produced for many artists, including Drake, Trippie Redd, and Travis Scott, most notably on “Highest in the Room,” and “Sicko Mode,” both of which he received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song.
In addition to the multiple Grammy nominations, OZ has earned three No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100: Drake’s “Toosie Slide,” and Scott’s “Highest in the Room,” and “Sicko Mode,” and has become a mainstay at the top of Billboard‘s producer and song charts.
In 2020 OZ was awarded several SOCAN Awards including the Breakout Songwriter Award, a Rap Music Award for “Sicko Mode,” and an R&B Award for “24/7”, and this year OZ adds to his SOCAN collection with this acknowledgement of his International Achievements.
Songwriter of the Year – Performer
Drake
The Songwriter of the Year – Performer is given to the songwriter(s) whose current material has received the greatest number of performances in 2021.
Songwriter of the Year – Producer
Koz
The Songwriter of the Year – Producer is given to the songwriter(s) whose current material has seen the greatest number of performances in 2021
Screen Composer of the Year
Keith Power
The Screen Composer of the Year is given to the composer(s) whose current material has received the greatest number of performances in 2021, combined with critical success, diversity, and a robust new body of work.
Breakout Songwriter Award
bbno$
The Breakout Songwriter Award is given to a SOCAN member or members to honour an exceptional career accomplishment and/or commercial success in 2021.
Breakout Songwriter Award – Francophone
La Zarra
The Breakout Songwriter Award is given to a Francophone SOCAN member or members to honour an exceptional career accomplishment and/or commercial success in 2021.
Breakout Composer Award
Evan MacDonald
The Breakout Composer Award is given to a SOCAN member or members to honour an exceptional career accomplishment and/or commercial success in 2021.
Film & Television Music Awards
The following are receiving a SOCAN Award for their involvement in the television show and/or cable program or film that achieved the greatest number of performances in their respective category in 2021.
Domestic Television Music Awards (Fiction Programming)
Murdoch Mysteries
ROBERT CARLI
Shaftesbury Music
Sony Music Publishing Canada
Hudson & Rex
PHILIP BENNETT
GARY KOFTINOFF
Shaftesbury Music
Sony Music Publishing
Domestic Television Music Awards (Non-Fiction Programming)
Sportsnet Connected
STEPHAN MOCCIO
Sing Little Penguin
Universal Music Publishing Canada
Sportsnet Central
MURRAY FLEMING
Rogers Media Inc
Highway Thru Hell
CHRISTOPHER NICKEL
GPM Music Publishing Ltd.
Domestic Television Music Awards (Animated Programming)
Hotel Transylvania
STEVEN SKRATT
ASHER LENZ
Sony Music Publishing Canada
Rusty Rivets
ASHER LENZ
STEPHEN SKRATT
Spin Master Ltd.
CCS Rights Management
Achievement in Feature Film Music Awards
The Addams Family
MYCHAEL DANNA
JEFF DANNA
Universal Music Publishing Canada
Clara
JONATHAN KAWCHUK
Serendipity Point Films
Music Revenue Publishing
Achievement in Made-For-TV Movie Music Awards
I Am MLK Jr.
DARYL BENNETT
Network Entertainment Inc.
The Wrong Patient
CAMERON CATALANO
Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd. Canada
International Television Series Music Awards
Paw Patrol
JAMES CHAPPLE
GRAEME CORNIES
DAVID KELLY
BRIAN PICKETT
Spin Master Ltd.
CCS Rights Management
Big Bang Theory
ED ROBERTSON
Universal Music Publishing Canada
International Film Music Awards
Braven – 2018
JUSTIN GREGORY SMALL
OHAD BENCHETRIT
Addams Family – 2019
MYCHAEL DANNA
JEFF DANNA
Universal Music Publishing Canada
Post Synchronization Right Award
The SOCAN Post Synchronization Award is a reproduction right award presented to the SOCAN Client that has earned the most audio-visual streams or broadcasts resulting from the combined digital and physical post-synchronization reproductions for their work in 2021.
Editions Studio V Inc.
Genre Awards
The following are receiving a SOCAN Award for their involvement in songs that achieved the greatest number of performances on domestic radio and on-demand audio streams in 2021, in their respective genres.
Pop Music Awards
Butter
JENNA ANDREWS
Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd.
Performed by : BTS
Save Your Tears
ABEL “THE WEEKND” TESFAYE
AHMAD “BELLY” BALSHE
JASON “DAHEALA” QUENNEVILLE
Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd. Canada
Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd.
Universal Music Publishing Canada
Performed by : The Weeknd
I’m Not Pretty
JESSIKA “JESSIA” HARLING
ELIJAH WOODS
Performed by : JESSIA
edamame
ALEXANDER “bbno$” GUMUCHIAN
Sony Music Publishing Canada
Performed by : bbno$
Rap Music Awards
Lemonade
NAVRAJ “NAV” GORAYA
NAV Music Corp.
BMG Rights Management Canada Inc.
Performed by : Internet Money
Way 2 Sexy
AUBREY DRAKE GRAHAM
Universal Music Publishing Canada
Performed by : Drake
Rapstar
SHANE “MURDA BEATZ” LINDSTROM
Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd.
Performed by : Polo G
Wants and Needs
NOAH “40” SHEBIB
AUBREY DRAKE GRAHAM
Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd. Canada
Performed by : Drake
R&B Music Awards
You Right
ABEL “THE WEEKND” TESFAYE
Kobalt Music Publishing LTD Canada
Performed by : Doja Cat & The Weeknd
Peaches
ASHTON “DANIEL CAESAR” SIMMONDS
KEAVAN YAZDANI
AARON SIMMONDS
MATTHEW “SEAN LEON”
Warner Chappell Music Canada
Sony Music Publishing Canada
Performed by : Justin Bieber
Scarred
MATTHEW “BOI-1DA” SAMUELS
DON MILLS
JOHANN “YOGITHEPRODUCER” DETERVILLE
Sony Music Publishing Canada
Performed by : GIVĒON
Country Music Awards
River’s Still Running
BRAD REMPEL
Spruce Road Publishing
Sony Music Publishing Canada
Performed by : High Valley
Make a Life, Not a Living
“STEVEN LEE OLSEN” TASSONE
Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd
Performed by : Brett Kissel
All Night to Figure It Out
BRAD REMPEL
Spruce Road Publishing
Sony Music Publishing Canada
Performed by : Jade Eagleson
Over All Over Again
BRAD REMPEL
Frozen Allen Hill Songs
GAVIN SLATE
JAMES BARKER
TODD CLARK
TRAVIS WOOD
Trash Man Songs
Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd.
Performed by : James Barker Band
Rock Music Awards
Hometown
LUKE BRADLEY GRUNTZ
IAN FRASER
Sentric Music Canada
Performed by : Cleopatrick
Mercy
BRETT EMMONS
JILLIAN DOWDING
Black Box Songs II
BMG Rights Management Canada Inc
Performed by : JJ Wilde
Let It Ride
TAREK JAFAR
JUSTIN TESSIER
The Blue Stones Inc.
BMG Rights Management Canada
Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd. Canada
Performed by : The Bluestones
Dance Music Awards
You
TATE MCRAE
T8 Entertainment Inc.
Sony Music Publishing Canada
Performed by : Regard, Tate McRae, and Troye Sivan
West Coast
ALEX VAN DEN HOEF
CHRIS VAN DEN HOEF
JOSHUA HERMAN
Reservoir Media Management Inc.
Performed by : DVBBS
Like Gold
ANDREW FEDYK
JOSEPH DEPACE
ADAM KERSHEN
ANDREW POLYCHRONOPOULOS
FRANK WALKER
Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd. Canada
Ultra Tunes Canda
Performed by : Loud Luxury, Frank Walker
CTRL + ALT + DEL
BRIANNAH DONOLO
ZACHARIE RAYMOND
YANNICK RASTOGI
Ultra Tunes Canada
Performed by : Rêve
Folk/Roots Music Award
The Folk/Roots Music Award is presented to a SOCAN member or members whose repertoire of creative works achieved the highest number of performances in 2021.
Allison Russell
Licensed To Play
The SOCAN Licensed To Play Award is presented to a SOCAN licensed business that consistently and conscientiously recognizes the importance of music rights and the importance of paying legal and ethical licenses for the public performance of music.
Side Door
Special Awards
International Song Award
Levitating
STEPHEN “KOZ” KOZMENIUK
NYANKINGMUSIC
EMI Music Publishing LTD.
Performed by : Dua Lipa
Hagood Hardy Award
Alex Cuba
Jan V. Matejcek New Classical Music Award
Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis
Vince Fontaine Indigenous Song Award
Where They At
ANDREW PAPALEO
KYLE SMITH
JEREMIAH MANITOPYES
DARREN METZ
QUINTON NYCE
Snotty Nose Rez Kids Music
Performed by : Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Drezus
Most Streamed Production Awards
Paw Patrol
JAMES CHAPPLE
GRAEME CORNIES
DAVID KELLY
BRIAN PICKETT
Spin Master Ltd.
CCS Rights Management
Heartland
KEITH POWER
Seven24 Films Inc / Dynamo Films Inc
Viral Song Awards
Presented by YouTube Music
SugarCrash!
ELLIOTT PLATT
Otto Dynamite Ltd.
Performed by : ElyOtto
Vibe For Me (Bob For Me)
TAAHIRA AQYILA DUFF
Performed by : Aqyila
F.M.R.N.
LILY “LILYISTHATYOU” DAVIES
CALEB JACOB
Universal Music Publishing
300 Rainwater Music
Performed by : LILYISTHATYOU
Jalebi Baby
TESHER
Performed by : TESHER