25th Anniversary SOCAN Montreal Gala Celebrates Music Creators and Publishers

Half Moon Run, René Angélil, Michel Bélanger, Georges Hamel, Marie-Mai and Fred St-Gelais honoured

MONTREAL, Dec. 2, 2014 /CNW/ - The 25th annual SOCAN Awards Montreal Gala, one of the Canadian music industry's most important events, was held tonight in the Grand Salon of the Hyatt Regency Montreal hotel. Hosted by Michel Rivard, this anniversary edition of the awards ceremony expressly sought to showcase successes of music creators and publishers from Québec and beyond.

Over 100 awards in 20 different categories were presented, including five honours for extraordinary achievement: Excellence, Homage, Global Inspiration, International and Songwriter(s) of the Year.

The late "Gentleman of Country" Georges Hamel, a legend of the Québec country music scene, received the Award of Excellence, with his widow Réjeanne Leblanc accepting in Hamel's name. During his 40-year career, the singer-songwriter recorded 44 albums that sold more than two-million copies, penned over 200 songs, received five Félix awards (ADISQ) and was granted the medal of the National Assembly.

One of the most famous managers in Canadian music history, René Angélil, received the Global Inspiration Award for his distinguished career and extraordinary influence. His son Patrick Angélil accepted the trophy on his behalf.

A passionate music lover, tireless worker and visionary businessman, Michel Bélanger was presented with the Homage Award. Bélanger is the president and founder of the Audiogram record label, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year.

The International Achievement Award was awarded to Montréal-based Half Moon Run's four songwriters, Conner Molander, Dylan Phillips, Devon Portielje and Isaac Symonds. The band has experienced worldwide success since the release of its first single, "Full Circle."

Marie-Mai and Fred St-Gelais, a prominent duo in Québec's pop scene with already five platinum records, were named Songwriters of the Year honouring their many triumphs, including an impressive number of songs (four) on the Top 50 BDS chart in 2013.

The five special achievement award winners were presented with The SOCAN, the first and so far only major music industry honour that is equal parts musical instrument and trophy. The SOCAN was created in partnership with SABIAN of New Brunswick and New York's Society Awards.

Luc Plamondon was presented with his 29th and 30th SOCAN Classic Awards, making him the most award-winning music creator in the history of the Montreal SOCAN Awards.

"This is a period of profound transformation and challenges for the music ecosystem," said SOCAN's Chief Executive Officer Eric Baptiste. "The SOCAN Montreal Gala has allowed us to go above and beyond our role as champions of musical creators' rights. With the Gala, we celebrate them and their many past and present successes. Even more so on its 25th anniversary, the event recognizes the new talents that become tomorrow's successful creators and shape the future of our industry."

Other honourees of the 25th SOCAN Gala in Montréal included Paul Daraîche, recipient of the Country Music prize; Klô Pelgag, who took home the SOCAN Breakout Award; Koriass, for the Urban Music award; Karim Ouellet, who received both Online Streaming and Pop/Rock Music awards ("L'amour"); Daniel Bélanger, who was bestowed four SOCAN Classic awards ("Ensorcelée", "La Folie en quatre", "Opium" and "Sèche tes pleurs") and a Pop/Rock Music award ("Si tel est ton désir"); Marjo and Jean Milaire, who earned two SOCAN Classic awards ("Je sais, je sais" and "Provocante"); Denis Gougeon, the Jan V. Matejcek New Classical Music Award; Lorraine Klaasen, the Hagood Hardy Award; and, finally, the Festival d'été de Québec, the Patron of Music Award for excellence by a business using licensed music creatively and ethically, while appreciating its strong value.

Several other music creators and publishers were also honoured during the 2014 SOCAN Gala, including the writers and composers behind the biggest Québec Anglophone disco hits of the 1970s and 1980s, which have since risen to SOCAN Classic status, and other classics that played over 25 000 times on the radio, along with the writers and composers of this year's most popular songs, television music and film music.

SOCAN thanked Donati Maisonneuve Avocats and Stingray for their sponsorship of the gala.

The winners of the 25th annual SOCAN Awards Montreal Gala are:

POP/ROCK MUSIC
"L'Amour"				"On ira"
Claude Bégin				Louise Becue (SACEM)
Karim Ouellet				Tryss (SACEM)
Coyote Records				Kerradine Soltani (SACEM)
				Olivier Volovitch (SACEM)
"Comme on attend le printemps"				Éditorial Avenue
Marc Dupré				Sony/ATV Éditions musicales
Nelson Minville
Éditions et chansons du Suisse Enr.				ONLINE STREAMING AWARD
Éditions Dama				"L'Amour"
Productions J inc.				Claude Bégin
				Karim Ouellet
"Nous sommes les mêmes"				Coyote Records
Marie Mai
Fred St-Gelais				COUNTRY MUSIC
Éditions Bloc-Notes				Paul Daraîche
Productions J inc.
				URBAN MUSIC
"On leur a fait croire"				Koriass
Gabriel Gratton
Alex Nevsky				SOCAN BREAKOUT AWARD
Avenue éditorial				Klô Pelgag
"Si tel est ton désir"				SONGWRITERS OF THE YEAR*
Daniel Bélanger				Marie Mai
Édition Achille Cassel				Fred St-Gelais
INTERNATIONAL SONG				SOCAN CLASSICS
"On est là"				"Ensorcelée"
Corneille				Daniel Bélanger
Sofia de Medeiros				Éditions Kaligram
Fred Château (SACEM)
Matthieu Mendes (SACEM)				"La Folie en quatre"
Matt Pokora (SACEM)				Daniel Bélanger
C-Way Music Inc.				Éditions Kaligram
Janidée
				"J'appelle"
ANGLOPHONE SONG				Michel Hinton
"Karma"				Robert Léger
Kristina Maria				Paul Piché
Kristian Lundin (STIM)				Éditions de la Minerve
Éditions musicales Lupo One				Les Éditions Mouche à feu
MOST PERFORMED FOREIGN SONG AWARD
SOCAN CLASSICS				"Everybody Get Up and Boogie"
"Je sais, je sais"				Tony Green
Marjolène Morin				Cicada Music Publishing
Jean Millaire				Get Ready Music
Musique Thésis				Rebera Music
"Moi j'appelle ça de l'amour"				"Murphy's Law"
Pierre Bertrand				Daniel Joseph (DJ)
Danièle Faubert				Geraldine Hunt
Robert Léger				Hygroton Publishing
Christian Péloquin				Lo Pressor Publishing
Les Éditions du Bon Diable
Les Éditions Dernière Minute				"Your Love"
Les Éditions Mouche à feu				Joe La Greca
Les Éditions du Samouraï				Denis Le Page
				Denyse Le Page
"Moi Tarzan, toi Jane"				Matra Music Publishing
Robert Charlebois				Rebera Music Publishing
Luc Plamondon
Les Éditions Conception				JAN V. MATEJCEK AWARD
Éditions Plamondon				Remis au lauréat de la catégorie nouvelle musique classique
				Denis Gougeon
"Monopolis"
Michel Berger (SACEM)				HAGOOD HARDY AWARD
Luc Plamondon				Remis au lauréat de la catégorie musique du monde
Éditions Plamondon				Lorraine Klaasen
Universal Music Publishing Canada
				INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION MUSIC AWARD
"Opium"				"Mayday"
Daniel Bélanger				Anthony Rozankovic
Éditions Kaligram				Cineflix Média inc.
				Ole
"Provocante"
Marjolène Morin				"Arthur"
Jean Millaire				Raymond Fabi
Musique Thésis				Ole
				Les Éditions de la rue St-André
"Sèche tes pleurs"
Daniel Bélanger				DOMESTIC TELEVISION MUSIC
Éditions Kaligram				Variety show and public affairs program:
				"Le Tricheur"
"Babe We're Gonna Love Tonight"				Jean-Phi Goncalves
Denis Le Page				Les Éditions TM
Denyse Le Page
New Image Music				"Juste Pour Rire Les Gags"
				Scott Price
"Can't Fake the Feeling"				Les Éditions Edi-Sprice enrg.
Kat Dyson (BMI)				Éditions Rozon Canada
Geraldine Hunt
Hygroton Publishing				Fiction program and drama series:
Rebera Music				"Mayday"
				Anthony Rozankovic
"Come To Me"				Cineflix Média inc.
Tony Green				Ole
Cicada Music Publishing
"Dancer"
Gino Soccio
Prime Quality Music
DOMESTIC TELEVISION MUSIC				INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVMENT*
Youth program:				Half Moon Run:
"Toc Toc Toc"				Conner Molander
Sébastien Watty Langlois				Dylan Phillips
Les Éditions Téléfiction				Devon Portielje
				Isaac Symonds
FILM MUSIC
"Crisis Point"				LICENSED TO PLAY
Claude Milot				Festival d'été de Québec
Mathieu Vanasse
Ho-Tune Musique				INSPIRATION AWARD*
				René Angélil
				HOMAGE AWARD*
				Michel Bélanger
				EXCELLENCE AWARD*
				Georges Hamel

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.

Image with caption: "25th annual SOCAN Montreal Awards winners (from left to right): Klô Pelgag (Breakout Award), SOCAN’s Chief Executive Officer Eric Baptiste, Marie-Mai and Fred St-Gelais (Songwriters of the year), Stan Meissner, President of SOCAN, Conner Molander and Dylan Phillips of Half Moon Run (International Achievement) and Geneviève Côté, Chief Quebec Affairs Officer of SOCAN. (Photo: Michel Gagné) (CNW Group/SOCAN)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141202_C4157_PHOTO_EN_8914.jpg

SOURCE: SOCAN

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