Lowell, Les Louanges Win Slaight Music Emerging Songwriter Award
Presented by the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, the prestigious honour celebrates the current achievements and future potential of rising Canadian songwriters. This year it goes to a Toronto pop songsmith and a Montreal multi-instrumentalist. Pictured: Lowell
By FYI Staff
Singer-songwriter Lowell and multi-instrumentalist Les Louanges have been announced as winners of the 2019 Slaight Music Emerging Songwriter Award, presented by the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Established in 2017, the Award celebrates the current achievements and future potential of Canadian songwriters on an upward trajectory in their career.
“On behalf of everyone at Slaight Music, I’d like to extend our congratulations to Lowell and Les Louanges in receiving the 2019 Slaight Music Emerging Songwriter Awards. This award recognizes and celebrates the hard work and dedication both artists have put forth in creating material that resonates with music fans, and their peers within the songwriting community. We look forward to hearing more great material from them both, which leads to one day being inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame,” says Derrick Ross, President of Slaight Music.
The two victors were honoured at the SOCAN Gala in Montreal last month. In addition to receiving a cash prize and access to songwriting camps, the winners will attend the SOCAN Awards in Toronto in the spring of 2020.
Travelling back and forth between L.A. and Toronto, Lowell (full name Elizabeth Lowell Boland) co-wrote two EPs with Juno-winning artist Bülow, spawning the hit Not A Love Song and the Halsey-approved You and Jennifer.
The Calgary-born pop writer and artist also collaborates with Jason Evigan, J Kash, T-Minus, John Ryan, and more. She co-wrote Madison Beer's debut LP and the first single, Dear Society, which has quickly garnered more than 30 million streams.
Lowell crafted her own recent Arts & Crafts-released LP, which earned placements on Grey’s Anatomy and The Bold Type, and her single War Face charted on alternative radio. She recently signed to TAP Management (Dua Lipa, Ellie Goulding, Lana Del Rey, Hailee Steinfeld), and is currently working alongside Steinfeld on her upcoming EP.
In a press release, Lowell stated that “To be considered part of Canada’s incredible roster of growing talent is an absolute honour. I’m quickly learning that songwriting, while rewarding, can also be a relentless pursuit, and it’s support like this back home that keeps me going. Thank you.”
Les Louanges is Vincent Roberge. A songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, he creates a tailor-made sound: a jazz-infused, undeniably groovy pop palette, boasting poetic yet easy-to-relate-to lyrics. With music born in the streets of Lévis, Les Louanges was first heard at the Francouvertes, and today saluted as one of the most important new artists out of Québec.
After releasing his first EP, Le Mercure, Les Louanges delivered his first album, La nuit est une panthère, in September 2018, via Bonsound.
In spring 2019, Les Louanges was awarded the Rapsat-Lelièvre Prize, in partnership with Belgium, thereby asserting his growing buzz overseas.
Locally, Radio-Canada then named Les Louanges as Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Soon after, he kicked off the summer season at Les Francos de Montréal. In the span of a few days, Les Louanges was granted the prestigious Félix-Leclerc Award, and played his biggest show ever in front of a sold-out Club Soda.
He welcomed a nomination on the Polaris Music Prize Short List for his first album, and released an EP, Expansion Pack, on October 4.
“As a francophone songwriter, I’m really happy to be honoured in the rest of Canada, and I hope this prize will help my music cross the language border and be exported across Canada," he explains.
This year’s Slaight Music Emerging Songwriter contest consisted of 40 outstanding candidates, nominated by one of the two organized juries – one Anglophone and one Francophone - each comprised of 13 music-industry experts. One Anglophone and one Francophone winner are determined by each jury after two rounds of voting.
The 2017 winners of the Slaight Music Emerging Songwriter Award were Jessie Reyez (Anglophone) and Charlotte Cardin (Francophone). For more information on the award, visit the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame website
