Nominees for 2023 SOCAN Songwriting Prize Include Maylee Todd, Lydia Képinski & More
Eight songs in English and eight in French from emerging Canadian songwriters will compete for $10,000 each.
Maylee Todd
The finalists for the 2023 SOCAN Songwriting Awards, which celebrate the talent of emerging Canadian songwriters, were revealed on Thursday. The Canadian rights management organization aims to showcase the next generation of songwriters and showcase the people who make the music. The jury consists of music industry experts and specialized journalists. They selected the finalists, while the winners will be chosen by public vote.
In the French category, the catchy electro-pop anthem "Depuis" by Lydia Képinski, "Lesbienne woke sur l’autotune" by the rapper Calamine, the electrifying "Ton shift est pas fini" by Gab Bouchard, and the bittersweet "Fille à porter" by Ariane Roy and Lou-Adriane Cassidy, both of whom were finalists in 2022, caught the attention of the SOCAN Songwriting Prize jury.
For the English-language component, the SOCAN Songwriting Prize includes titles like the jazzy "always" by Jonah Yano, the dreamy "Grab Your Guts" by Maylee Todd, and the equally captivating "Silver Into Rain" by Luna Li with beabadoobee.
Jennifer Brown, CEO of SOCAN, says the list reflects the diversity of music creativity in Canada, but also connects it to the Online Streaming Act, Bill C-11, which will regulate streaming in Canada to protect Canadian content and will soon go through consultation. "We must continue to advocate for the support and promotion of our talent ensuring that Canadians will always be able to create and listen to music that reflects their lived experience, now and in the future," she says.
Fans can vote online once a day for their favorite song until November 16. The two winners, one Francophone and one Anglophone, with the most votes will be announced during the week of November 20.
The eight English finalists for the SOCAN Songwriting Prize are:
"always" – written by Felix Fox-Pappas, Chester Hansen, Eliza Niemi, Alexander Sowinski, Leland Whitty, and Jonah Yano; performed by Jonah Yano; Hansen, Sowinski, and Whitty are published by Third Side Music Inc., Yano is published by Secretly Canadian Publishing.
Jonah Yano - always (Official Video)
"Big Steppa" – written by Bolu Akande and Tosan Arenyeka; performed by aRENYE.
Big Steppa (Lyrics) - aRENYE
"Grab Your Guts" – written and performed by Maylee Todd.
Grab Your Guts
"IF THERE’S NO SEAT IN THE SKY (WILL YOU FORGIVE ME???)" – written and performed by Saya Gray; published by Saya Gray/Kobalt Music Publishing Canada.
Saya Gray - IF THERE’S NO SEAT IN THE SKY (WILL YOU FORGIVE ME???)
"Levels" – written by Max Akres, Jeremy Alain, Corben Bowen, Zachary Djurich, Chris Larocca, Herag Sanbalian, and Jacob Wilkinson-Smith; performed by Boslen. Larocca is published by Kilometre Music Group. All rights are administered by Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd on behalf of Kilometre Music Group B.
Boslen - LEVELS (Official Video)
"Put ’Em Down" – written by Jeffrey Maurice and Joshua Qaumariaq; performed by The Trade-Offs.
"Silver Into Rain" – written by Hannah Kim and Beatrice Laus; performed by Luna Li with her special guest beabadoobee. Kim is published by 88 Rising/Kobalt Music Publishing Canada. Laus is published by Sony Music Publishing.
Luna Li - Silver Into Rain ft. beabadoobee (Official Music Video)
"STEPMOM" – written by Dacey Andrada and Justin Tecson; performed by Dacey.
DACEY - STEPMOM (Official Music Video)
The eight French finalists for the SOCAN Songwriting Prize are:
'Ton shift est pas fini' – written by Gabriel Bouchard and Mathieu Quenneville; performed by Gab Bouchard; published by Éditions Bravo Musique Inc.
« Ton shift est pas fini » de Gab Bouchard
'Depuis' – written and performed by Lydia Képinski.
Lydia Képinski - Depuis (audio)
'Fille à porter' – written by Ariane Roy and Roxane Azzaria; performed by Ariane Roy and Lou-Adriane Cassidy.
Ariane Roy et Lou-Adriane Cassidy - Fille à porter
'D’où c’que j’viens' – written by Simon Bolduc; performed by Bolduc tout croche.
Bolduc tout croche - D'où c'que j'viens
'Lesbienne woke sur l’autotune' – written by Julie Gagnon and Charles Gaudreau-Lerhe; performed by Calamine.
LESBIENNE WOKE SUR L'AUTOTUNE
'Tintagel' – written and performed by Lysandre Ménard.
Lysandre - Tintagel live au Pantoum
'C00N' – written by Shamyr Daléus and Nicholas Craven; performed by Raccoon; published by Disques RER Inc.
C00N
'Attiser le dilemme' – written by Rose–Emmanuelle Brassard, Joannie Michaud, and Frédéric Levac; performed by Rosie Valland; published by Secret City Publishing.
Attiser le dilemme (Lyric Video)
