A tribute to the iconic Serge Fiori

Creative impact of music publishers recognized with new award.

MONTREAL, May 3, 2026 /CNW/ - The 35th edition of the Montréal SOCAN Gala, presented on May 3 at TOHU, brought together the music industry to celebrate the excellence, creativity, and cultural impact of music creators and publishers from Québec and the Canadian Francophonie. The highlight of the evening was a moving tribute to Luc Plamondon, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, who was present to receive the honour.

Hosted by Philippe Fehmiu, with musical direction by Chloé Lacasse, the evening featured original performances, award presentations, and musical segments created especially for the event.

SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown opened the evening with timely remarks: "Gathering here tonight is especially important as AI moves into spaces long shaped by people like you, whose talent, expertise, and experience can't be replicated. Your creations are powerful and deeply human. Your music is at the heart of our collective identity, and tonight we honour everyone who makes it possible."

Special Achievement Award Recipients In Attendance to Receive their Honours

Luc Plamondon received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to Francophone music. The Cultural Impact Award went to iconic artist Marjo and her creative partner Jean Millaire for "Provocante," while Louis Valois, Monique Fauteux, Michel Normandeau, Libert Subinara and Serge Locat of the legendary band Harmonium took to the stage, with their anthem "Un musicien parmi tant d'autres" also receiving the Cultural Impact Award. J F Pauzé and Ruffsound were honoured with the Songwriter and Non-Performing Songwriter Awards, respectively. Christian Clermont received the Screen Composer Award, while Jérémie Corriveau and Peter Peter were honoured with the Breakthrough Screen Composer Award. The International Award went to Men I Trust, while the Publisher of the Year Award was presented to Face Trois Musique/Third Side Music, and the Creative Impact Publisher Award went to Bravo Musique.   

Luc Plamondon Honoured With a Collective Tribute to His Work

A leading figure in Francophone songwriting, Luc Plamondon was celebrated through a series of performances revisiting his extensive repertoire. Multiple generations of artists, including Pierre Lapointe, Pierre Kwenders, William Cloutier, Antoine Corriveau, Klô Pelgag, Marie-Mai, FouKi, among others, delivered moving and bold interpretations of songs that have moved many generations of music lovers.

The tribute concluded with an ensemble performance, followed by the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award, met with a well-deserved standing ovation.

An Evening of Unforgettable Performances

The Gala opened with a performance by Soleil Launière, setting the tone for an undeniably contemporary and inclusive evening. The audience then enjoyed several exclusive performances, including:

• Cœur de pirate and Les Trois Accords performing Toujours les vacances
• A segment dedicated to the Cultural Impact Awards, highlighting Harmonium's Un musicien parmi tant d'autres and a striking reinterpretation of Marjo's Provocante
• A segment dedicated to screen music, featuring the Quatuor Esca and Viviane Audet
• An explosive closing performance by Rymz and Loud

The full list of winners from the 2026 SOCAN Gala follows this release. 

The SOCAN Gala in Montréal is the Francophone counterpart to the SOCAN Awards, which will be presented in Toronto this fall for music creators and publishers working primarily in English.  

About SOCAN 

SOCAN is Canada's largest member-owned music rights organization, championing the fundamental value of music and the people who create it. SOCAN collects license fees for the public performance and reproduction of music, matches them to rights holders, and distributes them as royalties to music creators and publishers in Canada and around the world. With more than a century of expertise and innovation, SOCAN stands for respect and fair compensation for creative work—protecting, recognizing, and celebrating its over 200,000 songwriter, composer, and music publisher members. For more information, visit socan.com.

APPENDIX 

2026 GALA SOCAN WINNERS

Achievement Awards

Cultural Impact Award
Provocante
Marjo
Songwriters: Marjolène Morin, Jean Millaire
Publisher: Musique Thesis

Un musicien parmi tant d'autres
Harmonium
Songwriter: Serge Fiori
Publisher: Prime Qualité Music

Excellence Award
Luc Plamondon

International Award
Men I Trust

Songwriter of the Year – Performer Award
J F Pauzé

Songwriter of the Year – Non-Performer Award

Marc "Ruffsound" Vincent

Breakout Songwriter Award
Billie du Page

Screen Composer Award
Christian Clermont

Breakout Screen Composer Award
Peter Jones
Jérémie Corriveau

Publisher of the Year Award
Third Side Music

Publisher – Creative Impact Award
Bravo Musique

Popular Songs Awards

French-Language Popular Songs

Ballon-sonde
J F Pauzé
Songwriters: Daniel Lacoste, Jean-François Pauzé, Gustavo Coriandoli
Publishers: Les Éditions de la Tribu, Éditions JFP

Un peu trop
Charlotte Cardin
Songwriters: Charlotte Cardin, Jason Brando, Tristan Salvati*
Publisher: Big Boy Éditions

Tant pis pour elle
Charlotte Cardin
Songwriters: Charlotte Cardin, Jason Brando, Elizabeth Blondeau
Publisher: Big Boy Éditions

Tant qu'on est toi et moi
Gabriel Fredette
Songwriters: Gabriel Fredette, Benjamin Nadeau
Publishers: Les Disques NOW, Bloc Notes Music Publishing

Jouer
Ariane Moffatt
Songwriter: Ariane Moffatt
Publisher: Éditions Mo'Fat inc.

Je veux
Fredz
Songwriters: Fredz, Claire Ridgely, Clément « Pops » Langlois-Légaré, Adel « Poolboy » Kazi-Aoual
Publishers: Les Disques Nova, David Murphy et Cie

La vérité
Fredz
Songwriters: Fredz, Clément « Pops » Langlois-Légaré, Adel « Poolboy » Kazi-Aoual, Krzysztof Andrzej Zubek*
Publishers: Les Disques Nova, David Murphy et Cie

Cavale
Cœur de Pirate
Songwriter: Cœur de Pirate
Publisher: Bravo Éditions

J'veux pas qu'tu t'en ailles
William Cloutier
Songwriters: William Cloutier, Claude Bégin, Benjamin Nadeau
Publishers: Bloc Notes Music Publishing, Éditions Musicor, Coyote Records

Dis-moi dis-moi dis-moi
Lou-Adriane Cassidy
Songwriters: Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Alexandre Martel
Publisher: Bravo Éditions

Toujours les vacances
Les Trois Accords and Cœur de Pirate
Songwriters: Alexandre Parr, Simon Proulx, Charles Dubreuil, Cœur de Pirate, Pierre-Luc Boisvert
Publishers: Bravo Éditions, Les Éditions de la Tribu

Quelque chose
Loud
Songwriters: Simon Cliche Trudeau, Zacharie « Soke » Raymond, Mike Coriolan, Barnev Valsaint, Alex Guay, Marc « Ruffsound » Vincent
Publishers: Joy Ride Records, Basbosa Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Les Éditions Lauréa

English-Language Popular Songs

Lay Your Light
Alicia Moffet
Songwriters: Samuel Avant, Jason Brando, Alicia Moffet, Harper Gordon
Publisher: KILOMETRE MUSIC GROUP

Silencio
Patrick Watson and November Ultra
Songwriters: Patrick Watson, Mikhail Stein, Olivier Fairfield
Publisher: Secret City Publishing

Gordon in the Willows
Patrick Watson and Charlotte Cardin
Songwriters: Patrick Watson, Charlotte Cardin, Mikhail Stein, Olivier Fairfield
Publisher: Secret City Publishing

Film & Telivision Music Awards

Television Music - International (Film)
Iron Claw
Composers: Richard Reed Parry, Pietro Amato

Television Music – International (TV Series)
Transplant
Composer: Christian Clermont
Publisher: Sphère Média

Television Music – National (Variety or Public Affairs Program)
Salut Bonjour
Composer: Gaétan Essiambre
Publisher: ÉditionsTM inc.

Television Music – National (Fiction or Drama Series)
Transplant
Composer: Christian Clermont
Publisher: Sphère Média

Television Music – National (Children's Program)
Premier Trio
Composers: Jean-David Perron, Paul Aubry, Gaël Bédard Auclair
Publishers: Supersavant, Les éditions de la note ronde

Film Music
Butterfly Tale
Composer: Martin Roy
Publisher: Blü Dog Media

Most Stream Online Production /Most Streamed AV Production
Stat
Composer: Miklos Simpson
Publisher: Aetios Distribution inc.

Special Awards

Viral Song
Feel Good
Charlotte Cardin
Songwriters: Charlotte Cardin, Jason Brando, Lubalin, Marco Royal, Mathieu Sénéchal
Publisher: Big Boy Éditions

August 10
Julie Doiron
Songwriter: Julie Doiron

International Song
Extraordinaire
Fredz
Songwriters: Fredz, Beatrice Martin, Tayeb Zitouni
Publishers: Bravo Éditions, Les Disques Nova, Éditions Eldorado, Éditorial Avenue, David Murphy et Cie

Bésame
Alejandro Sanz, Shakira
Songwriters: Marc "Ruffsound" Vincent, Alex (A.C) Castillo Vasquez
Publisher: Les Éditions Lauréa

Licensed to Play
SPEC du Haut-Richelieu

Herbert Ruff Award for Audiovisual Post-Synchronization
Studio SFX

Country Music Award
Fred Dionne

Electronic Music Award
TDJ

HIP-HOP Music Award
Rymz

R&B Music Award
Blynk

Global Music Award
Ramon Chicharron

Indigenous Music Award
Siibii

Hagood Hardy Award (instrumental)
Viviane Audet

Jan V. Matejcek Award
Ana Sokolović

*not a SOCAN member

SOURCE SOCAN