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FYI

SOCAN Gifts Five Young Songwriters With $5K Prizes

The SOCAN Foundation has awarded a total of $25,000 to five songwriters that are 21 and under. The program partnered with Sirius XM Canada to offer $5,000 to each of the winning contestants.

SOCAN Gifts Five Young Songwriters With $5K Prizes

By External Source

The SOCAN Foundation has awarded a total of $25,000 to five songwriters that are 21 and under. The program partnered with Sirius XM Canada to offer $5,000 to each of the winning contestants.


“These awards recognize the next generation of songwriters from across the country,” said Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of the SOCAN Foundation. “This award is also designed to celebrate and cultivate these emerging music creators as they expand their career as songwriters.”

The competition was evaluated by a jury of Canadian songwriters comprised of Basia Bulat, Jocelyn Bruno (Dramatik), Tarun Nayar (Delhi 2 Dublin), Frank Kadillac (Neon Dreams), and Fanny Bloom.

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The SOCAN Foundation 2019 award recipients are:

Mahmoud Ismail (Mah Moud) for the song “Sigada” (ON),

Lou-Adriane Cassidy for the song “Poussière” (QC),

Emily Gifford (GRAE) for the song “Your Hands” (ON),

Kasia Thorlakson (Kasia Leigh) for the song “Love Song #1” (SK), and

Arianna Ohlsson for the song “Heaven” (ON).

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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 20: Celine Dion performs remotely via video during "The Songs Of John Farnham, The Celebration Concert" at Rod Laver Arena on September 20, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 20: Celine Dion performs remotely via video during "The Songs Of John Farnham, The Celebration Concert" at Rod Laver Arena on September 20, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

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Celine Dion, Keith Urban, Chris Martin Lead All-Star John Farnham Tribute Concert

The concert doubled as a celebration of the 40th anniversary of "You're the Voice," released in September 1986.

An all-star lineup of Australian and international artists gathered in Melbourne on Sunday (Sept. 20) to honor John Farnham, the Australian music icon behind “You’re the Voice,” at a star-studded tribute concert at Rod Laver Arena.

Billed as The Songs of John Farnham: A Living Legend – The Celebration Concert, the one-off event drew more than 120 performers, a 38-piece orchestra and the John Farnham Band before a capacity crowd, with proceeds going to Head and Neck Cancer Australia. The concert launched the organization’s year-long Lend Your Voice campaign, aiming to raise $1 million for the charity that supported Farnham through his own cancer treatment since 2022. Emcee Richard Wilkins noted that Farnham has played the venue in a record 94 sold-out shows over his career — “so I guess tonight makes it 95,” he told the crowd.

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