Juno-Nominated Songwriters and Producers Talk About the Importance of Canadian Industry Recognition

There's a new category at the Juno Awards this year and for first-time nominee Lowell, it's been a long time coming.

Lowell — Elizabeth Lowell Boland — has been in the industry for a decade, first as a performing artist and then as a songwriter and artist development expert. In the last two years, she's helped break Canadian rockers The Beaches internationally as well as contributing to Beyoncé's first-ever album of the year win at the Grammys, co-writing several tracks on Cowboy Carter.

Now, she receives her first-ever Juno nomination, in the inaugural category, Songwriter of the Year (Non-Performer). The introduction of the category means that behind-the-scenes songwriters who would normally get squeezed out of the Songwriter of the Year category by big names like Abel Tesfaye are getting their due.

Last year, Billboard Canada and SOCAN introduced the Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award, which Lowell won and accepted at the Billboard Canada Power Players celebration. Lowell was a fitting first winner, as she's been also pushing the Junos to add the category for years.

At a Junos media conference yesterday following the nominations announcement, Lowell spoke about how it's been a long road to get here, but songwriters are starting to get some recognition.

"I'm so glad that we have this category now," Lowell said. "I think that if it didn't exist I probably wouldn't be nominated at the Junos — and I always said if I get Grammys before I get Junos you know there's something wrong."

Asked by Howard Druckman of SOCAN about her advocacy for the category, she joked about cornering SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown and CARAS CEO Allan Reid at industry parties over the last decade. "'I swear half the industry sees me at a party and they're like, 'oh God' and they walk away," she laughed. "But now they don't have to anymore!"

Responding to a question from Gabriel Noda of HumberETC, Lowell added that in the past, Juno nominations have been bittersweet for songwriters.

"Usually we see a lot of artists that we maybe have developed or written their hits, but know that our name won't be up there, just kind of having to live in it," she reflected. "I'm a fighter so I kind of took the lead on it. One thing about songwriters is we're so used to just being walked all over, we don't often think we can do anything about it, and I refuse to think that way."

As songwriter royalties have declined, it's harder to make a living, Lowell pointed out, making this kind of recognition even more significant.

"All of these labels — Universal Canada, Warner Canada — we could be in L.A. but we're here, we're working on your artists, and we're writing you guys hits and we're bringing you money and allowing you to sign more artists, so the respect that we need and have earned needs to be at the Junos too," she continued. "And here we are. It's good — it's a good day."

She's excited to be nominated in the category alongside Nate Ferraro, her songwriting partner on Beyoncé's "Texas Hold 'Em." Also nominated are Evan Blair, for work with Maren Morris and Benson Boone (including co-writing the No. 1 hit "Beautiful Things"); Shaun Frank, for work with Dua Lipa and Morgan Wallen; and Tobias Jesso Jr., for work with Camila Cabello, Maren Morris and Dua Lipa.

If the Canadian industry hasn't always been quick to celebrate behind-the-scenes songwriters, Lowell emphasized that it can be more satisfying supporting talent in Canada than in the United States.

"It's an opportunity for me to find talent and look in places that other people aren't looking," she said. She especially appreciates supporting artists who might not have the resources to move south of the border, which many Canadians do in order to make it big. "[To help] be a bridge to becoming an international artist — I find that almost more rewarding than something that some label has already found in L.A."

Aaron Paris, nominated for Producer of the Year, also spoke about why he loves Toronto's creative community. He's nominated alongside friends like Akeel Henry and Jack Rochon in his category (rounded out by Evan Blair and Shawn Everett).

"I've known Jack Rochon since high school, and it's cool to see how we can all come up together," Paris reflected. "'There's so many amazing creatives in Toronto. I think that community that we have is what I try to bring to the rest of the world too."

Paris is a first-time nominee for his work with Ariana Grande, Loony, Sean Leon and more.

Paris, along with Lowell and Jesso Jr., was also shortlisted for the 2024 Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award. The creators behind-the-scenes are getting more recognition in an industry where publishing catalogues can be just as sought after as masters or licensing deals.

Women are still often under-represented in those roles, though — Lowell is the only woman in the non-performing songwriter category, while Paris' category is all men.

Hill Kourkoutis, nominated for Recording Engineer of the Year, says she's noticed an increase in women jumping into technical work like production and engineering.

"I think there's been a really beautiful wave of many women having this success, globally. And I think it's just the right time, finally," she said, responding to a question from Rudy Blair. She noted that she saw more women diving into those fields during the pandemic lockdown, when there was more free time to explore skills that may have historically seemed off-limits.

Kourkoutis became the first woman nominated in the recording engineer category in 2022, winning for her work on SATE's The Fool. This year, she's nominated for work with Sebastian Gaskin and Emi Jeen.

"I just work in a dark room all day by myself most of the time," she says of the nomination. "So it's always shocking to receive an acknowledgment like this."

Check out the full list of nominees here.