TORONTO, Feb. 7, 2020 /CNW/ - The SOCAN Foundation is proud to announce the two recipients of the inaugural Her Music Awards sponsored by RE:SOUND. During the evening of February 6, 2020, Haviah Mighty (Toronto, ON) and Leela Gilday (Yellowknife, NT) each received a $5,000 prize during a full-house reception held in downtown Toronto.
"The Her Music Awards are designed to celebrate and support female-identified people building momentum, as music creators on the verge of taking their creative careers to the next level," said Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of SOCAN Foundation. "This program is also designed to empower award recipients, and to help them reach their full potential."
The recipients were selected by a jury composed of Cris Derksen, Frannie Holder, and Martine Groulx. All applications were evaluated on the basis of the quality of their musical work, career potential, as well as the impact that receiving an award would have on their personal development as an artist.
"Women are making incredible music all over this world right now!" said Leela Gilday. "Hearing it, lifting it up, working with women, and honouring women in music will enrich all of us. I hope to use the award to continue to blaze trails for more young women, so that one day a young female musician can look around and say, 'There used to be gender bias in the music industry?'"
"I became aware of the Her Music Awards shortly before applying," said Haviah Mighty. "As a mid-level, female Canadian musician, I felt this award was right up my alley. Still, I was surprised to hear that I'm a recipient, and very grateful to have been considered. I'm committed to continuing to push the conversation of female perspective in these ways, and think it's amazing that more and more music outlets (and others) are acknowledging the female contribution. Our stories as Canadian women are diverse, and should be a part of the stories we tell as a country."
About Haviah Mighty
Haviah has been releasing music independently since 2009, but it was her project Flower City (2017), that propelled her career into further success. In May 2019, Mighty released the Polaris Prize-winning album, 13th Floor, her most fully-realized project to date, making history as the first hip-hop artist and first Black woman to ever receive the honour.
About Leela Gilday
Born and raised in Denendeh, Gilday writes about the people and the land that created her. The power in her voice conveys her feelings of love and life in a rugged environment and vibrant culture. Leela's family is from Délįne on the shore of Great Bear Lake, and her rich vocals dance across the rhythmic beats of traditional Dene drumming, and smooth contemporary melodic lines. This JUNO Award winner has toured every province and territory, and several countries internationally. She believes music has an inexplicable effect on people. She's a storyteller, and through this, reflects the world to itself.
These awards are one of the many SOCAN Foundation competitions that, for more than 25 years, have allowed the organization to financially support promising Canadian artists, while underscoring their merit and their outstanding artistic expression.
More details on SOCAN Foundation Awards may be found at https://www.socanfoundation.ca/awards
About SOCAN Foundation
Founded in 1992, SOCAN Foundation is dedicated to fostering musical creativity and promoting a better understanding of the role of music creators in today's society. The organization is a part of the SOCAN Group of companies, and guided by a Board of Directors, which consists of composers, songwriters, and music publishers, and reflects concert music and popular music genres, as well as the geographic and linguistic regions of Canada. To learn more about the SOCAN Foundation and SOCAN, visit www.socanfoundation.ca and www.socan.com.
About RE:SOUND
Re:Sound (https://www.resound.ca/) is the Canadian not-for-profit music licensing company dedicated to obtaining fair compensation for artists and record companies for their performance rights. They advocate for music creators, educate music users, license businesses, and distribute royalties to creators — all to help build a thriving and sustainable music industry in Canada.
SOURCE SOCAN
For further information: Charlie Wall-Andrews, SOCAN Foundation, [email protected]
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