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Norman Wong, Courtesy Photo
Nemahsis (left), Rau_Ze (right)
Awards
Nemahsis and Rau_Ze Win Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Breakthrough Songwriter Award
Each winner receives a $7,500 cash prize with a customized career development plan and global exposure through Amazon Music’s playlisting and resources.
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Nemahsis and Rau_Ze are being awarded for their songwriting.
Today (September 18), the two singer-songwriters were revealed as The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF)’s 2025 Breakthrough Songwriter Award recipients.
The music organization’s award pinpoints Canadian songwriters on the rise, celebrating their current achievements and the bright futures on the global stage.
This year’s winners, one in each of non-French-language and French-language categories, were selected from a pool of 35 candidates, narrowed down to 12 finalists across Canada by a jury of music industry professionals, with fan votes contributing to the final result.
Each winner receives a $7,500 cash prize with a customized career development plan and global exposure through Amazon Music playlisting and resources.
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Palestinian-Canadian singer-songwriter Nemahsis is this year’s non-French-language winner. Earning international recognition for her powerful voice and personal storytelling, she explores identity, belonging and the experience of being a hijabi Muslim woman. Her independently-released debut album, 2024’s Verbathim, received praise from the likes of Stevie Wonder and Elton John. This year, she completed a sold-out North American tour and her debut made the Polaris Music Prize shortlist.
Taking home the French-language award are Montreal duo Rau_Ze. Comprised of Rose Perron and Félix Paul, the pair blends R&B, neo-soul, jazz, funk and hip-hop in their music, boasting an irresistible groove. Their debut album, Virer nos vies, unpacks themes of love, mental health and feminism with depth and passion that has earned them critical acclaim — and ADISQ's inaugural Soul/R&B award. This year, they’ve been flexing their talents on-stage, appearing at major music festivals like Festival d'été de Québec (FEQ) and Osheaga. Recently, the duo signed with Wagram Music’s WLab to launch their European career.
Established in 2017, the Breakthrough Songwriter Award has been previously won by Mustafa, Ariane Roy, Charlotte Cardin, Jessie Reyez, Lowell, Les Louanges, Aaron Paris, Fredz, Eli Brown and Lou-Adriane Cassidy,
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"This award celebrates and supports the next generation of Canadian songwriters, reflecting our mission to honour both the legacy and the future of Canadian music,” says CSHF’s executive director Nick Fedorm. “We are proud to recognize their contributions to the craft and extend our congratulations to this year’s recipients."
The Breakthrough Songwriter Award winners will be recognized at the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Legends Induction Series event, taking place on October 17 at Toronto’s Meridian Arts Centre and on November 17 at Montréal’s Espace St-Denis.
Tickets for the Montreal event are available here here, and for Montreal’s event here.
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