2014 SOCAN Songwriting Prize Nominees Announced

Public voting to decide winner of Canada's premier independent songwriting competition

TORONTO, June 3, 2014 /CNW/ - The five final nominees for the ninth annual SOCAN Songwriting Prize (English) have been announced by SOCAN - The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada - with songs performed by Louise Burns, July Talk, PUP, Alejandra Ribera and Wake Owl, all underscoring the incredible collective talent of Canadian independent songwriters.

Fans can vote once a day from June 3rd to July 3rd at www.socansongwritingprize.ca. All eligible voters have the opportunity to win a new Sonos wireless music system just for voting.

This year's SOCAN Songwriting Prize finalists have an East / West flavour, with two nominees from Vancouver, two from Toronto, and one from Montreal. The nominated songs, as determined by an independent panel of music experts, are:

• "Emeralds Shatter" - written and performed by Louise Burns.
• "Gold" - written by Colyn Cameron; performed by Wake Owl; published by BMG Rights Management Canada.
• "Having You Around" - written by Peter Dreimanis, Leah Goldstein, Eamon McGrath, Daniel Miles, and Josh Warburton; performed by July Talk; published by July Talk Music Inc.
• "I Want" - written and performed by Alejandra Ribera; published by Pandyamonium Artist Management.
• "Reservoir" - written by Stefan Babcock, Nestor Chumack, Zachary Mykula and Steven Sladkowski; performed by PUP.

"These five finalists are together awesome evidence of Canada's tremendous songwriting talent," said Mike McCarty, chief membership & business development officer at SOCAN. "There are so many exceptionally inventive and imaginative and compelling Canadian songs by writers who are not with a major label, that it was a massive challenge for our panelists to come up with five. It's going to be tough - but a lot of fun - for voters to decide which song is their favourite, as they're all deserving in one way or another."

The SOCAN Songwriting Prize honours the most creative and artistic songs - English and French - released by independent Canadian songwriters over the past year. The writer(s) of the winning song will receive a $5,000 cash prize, as well as a Gibson 1941 SJ-100 acoustic guitar (SRP $3,200) from Gibson Acoustic, a Division of Gibson Brands, and a $1,300 prize pack from Roland Canada consisting of a BOSS Micro-BR BR-80 Digital Recorder, two CM-30 CUBE Monitors, and one pair of RH-300 Stereo Headphones.

After voting closes on July 3rd, the 2014 SOCAN Songwriting Prize winner will be announced the week of July 7, 2014.

The five nominated songs were compiled by a panel of music journalists / enthusiasts who each were asked to recommend three songs from any genre that they felt were the most artistic and creatively written independent compositions of the past year. All the songs were compiled, reviewed, debated, and voted on by the panelists to determine the five finalists. SOCAN has no role in the selection of nominees or winners.

This year's English SOCAN Songwriting Prize panelists:

• Denise Benson (journalist/broadcaster/DJ/event producer)
• Dave Bookman (on-air personality, Indie88,Toronto)
• Del Cowie (assistant editor, Exclaim!)
• Mike Devlin (reporter, Victoria Times Colonist)
• Grant Lawrence (broadcaster, CBC Radio 3)
• Trevor Murphy (broadcaster, CKDU 88.1FM, Halifax)
• Errol Nazareth (writer, broadcaster, Toronto Sun, CBC radio 1)
• Greg Torrington (programmer, Galaxie)
• Brad Wheeler (reporter, The Globe and Mail)
• Jen Zoratti (freelance music writer)

Previously announced nominees for the 2014 Prix de la chanson SOCAN, the Francophone counterpart to the SOCAN Songwriting Prize:

• "Andromède" - written and performed by Louis-Philippe Gingras.
• "La fièvre des fleurs" - written and performed by Klô Pelgag; published by Éditions Coop Faux Monnayeurs, David Murphy & cie.
• "Mécaniques générales" - written and performed by Patrice Michaud.
• "Nos corps" - written by Jimmy Hunt, Emmanuel Éthier, and Christophe Lamarche Ledoux; performed by Jimmy Hunt; published by Les Éditions Dare to Care.
• "Soleil blanc" - written and performed by Philémon Cimon; published by Éditorial Avenue.

For all of the latest updates, follow the SOCAN Songwriting Prize on Twitter at @SOCANmusic , #SOCANprize, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SOCANmusic

About SOCAN
SOCAN is a member-based 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. www.socan.ca

SOURCE: SOCAN

Media Contacts:
SOCAN: Michael Critchley, 416.445.8700 x3784, [email protected]
Environics Communications (for SOCAN): Michelle Titus, 416.969.1667, [email protected]; Lorna Freeman, [email protected], 416.969.2711