Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Announces Nominees for 2026 Breakthrough Songwriter Award
Presented by TikTok Canada, the 10 nominees — five non-French language and five French language acts — include Tia Wood, Jade LeMac, Katie Tupper and more. The two winners will be announced on June 2.
The finalists for the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame's breakthrough songwriter award are here.
Each year, the music organization spotlights the latest cohort of emerging Canadian singers on the precipice of their big break. The 2026 edition will be presented in partnership with TikTok Canada.
Of the 10 finalists, five in the non-French-language and five in the French-language categories, the list of nominees spans across the country and represents a variety of genres.
In the non-French language category, the finalists are: Toronto multi-instrumentalist and producer Eugene Tsai, Vancouver pop act Jade LeMac, Saskatoon-born neo-soul singer Katie Tupper, Cree-Salish artist Tia Wood and global pop producer Zale.
Meanwhile, the French language finalists are: visual artist Benjamin Nadeau, Morocco-born, Montreal-based act Benny Adam, Québec duo Grand Eugène, indie-pop singer Marco Ema and genre-blending group Marie Céleste.
The breakout songwriter award partnership marks one of TikTok Canada’s first sponsorships following the news that the social media platform would remain functioning in the country under new data protection rules in March.
“TikTok has become one of the most powerful platforms for music discovery and storytelling, helping today’s breakthrough finalists connect with audiences around the world in entirely new ways," Nick Fedor, executive director at Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, tells Billboard Canada. "Through our new partnership with TikTok, we’re proud to celebrate and elevate the next generation of Canadian music creators."
Each winner will receive a $7,500 cash prize with a customized career development plan and global exposure through various resources, supported by TikTok Canada.
“This year’s finalists reflect the incredible diversity, creativity and cultural impact of emerging artists across the country, and we continue to see how platforms like TikTok can help songwriters build communities, reach new audiences and shape the future of music discovery both in Canada and globally," says Emily Mitchell, TikTok's head of music publishing partnerships.
Last year’s winners were Palestinian-Canadian singer-songwriter Nemahsis (non-French language) and Montreal duo Rau_Ze (French language).
The award has a great track record. Other previous winners include Eli Brown, Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Mustafa, Ariane Roy, Charlotte Cardin, Jessie Reyez, Lowell and Les Louanges.
The top 2026 finalists were determined after a first round of voting by a juried panel of music industry professionals. As the second round of jury voting is underway, fans can cast one vote per day here until May 26 at 11:59 pm local time. Each fan vote counts as a bonus vote toward their chosen nominee, with the two winners being a joint decision between the jury of music industry professionals and fan votes.
Winners in both categories will be announced on June 2 and will additionally be honoured at the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Sept. 26 at Toronto’s Massey Hall.
