25th Montreal SOCAN Awards

25 years of celebration, 25 years of talent and vision

MONTRÉAL, Nov. 12, 2014 /CNW/ - On the evening of December 2nd, a who's who of the Canadian music industry will gather in the Grand Salon of the Hôtel Hyatt Regency Montréal for the 25th Annual SOCAN Montréal Awards Gala to celebrate the creative minds whose words and music have left a permanent mark in our hearts, ignited our imaginations, aroused our emotions, and defined an entire culture.

Hosted by Michel Rivard, more than 100 awards will be presented in 20 different categories, including additions for 2014: Country Music, Urban Music, Breakout and Songwriter(s) of the Year.

In 1990, the first francophone SOCAN Gala was held in Montreal to honour the members of SOCAN – the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, to highlight the tremendous success of its music creators and publishers, celebrating exceptional songwriting success, composition for music for film and television, and paying tribute to the builders, immortals and visionaries of the Canadian music scene.

Twenty-five years and nearly 2,000 awards later, SOCAN remains more committed than ever to recognizing the work of its members.

"The music ecosystem is undergoing profound change, and SOCAN is no exception," said SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste. "SOCAN is evolving and innovating, inspired by the extraordinary creativity and drive of our members. Now, more than ever, the Gala promises to live up to its stellar reputation with our anniversary edition: warm, friendly, and packed with passion and emotion. It will be an evening of tribute to the musical architects of our collective heritage and creators of tomorrow's memories – because the present and the future are necessarily built upon the grounding of our past."

"In one of his most beautiful songs, Georges Brassens sang about the 'saintliness of artistic solidarity.' That's the feeling I get every time I attend the SOCAN Gala: the pleasure of sharing a common trade, of a job well-done, and the respect of the work beyond genres and styles," Michel Rivard commented. "To host the event is even better! It's easy to liven up something that is already fully alive. And on top of it all, I get to shake hands and kiss everyone. It's a hard life, I tell you!"

In a major addition to the honours, a new trophy called "The SOCAN" – both a prestigious award and itself a functional musical instrument, developed in partnership with SABIAN of New Brunswick and Society Awards of New York – will be presented to the highest honourees.

The SOCAN will be presented to four great figures of the Quebec music industry, in the Inspiration, Homage, International and Excellence categories; the first recognizes one of the most celebrated managers in Canadian history; the second, a passionate and visionary music executive; the third, a band of incredible songwriters lauded all over the planet; and the fourth, a late, lamented giant of country music.

About SOCAN
SOCAN is a member-based and governed organization that represents the Canadian performing rights of more than three-million Canadian and international music creators and publishers. SOCAN is proud to play a leading role in supporting the long-term success of its more than 120,000 Canadian members, and the Canadian music industry overall. SOCAN licenses more than 125,000 businesses in Canada, and distributes royalties to its members and music rights organizations around the world. SOCAN also distributes royalties to its members for the use of their music internationally in collaboration with its peer societies.

SOURCE: SOCAN

Media Contacts: SOCAN: Éric Parazelli, [phone], ext. 4934, [email protected]; La royale électrique (for SOCAN): Isabelle Ouimet, [phone], [email protected]