Montréal’s Quartier des spectacles was abuzz with excitement on Oct. 30, 2024, as Québec’s entire music industry gathered for the first two ADISQ 2024 galas. A total of 47 Félix honours were awarded at the Premier Gala de l’ADISQ, held at MTELUS and hosted by Sarahmée, and at the Industry Gala, held at Place des Arts’ Piano Nobile.
Among the SOCAN members who stood out, Les Cowboys Fringants and their album Pub Royal (featuring the voice of the late Karl Tremblay) was among the favourites; they didn’t disappoint, winning a total of five awards, including Album of the Year – Critics’ Choice, Album of the Year – Alternative, and Video of the Year for the seven minutes-plus long “La fin du show.” Also worth mentioning is the Le Roy, la Rose et le Lou[p] collective, made up of Ariane Roy, Thierry Larose, and Lou-Adriane Cassidy; they were the only act to beat the Cowboys in one of the categories in which they were nominated, namely Show of the Year – Variety/Covers.
Select the image to play the SOCAN YouTube interview video with Sara Dufour
Karkwa also won three trophies at the Gala de l’industrie (Lighting Design and Projection, Sound Recording and Mixing, and Sound System), as well as Album of the Year – Rock for Dans la seconde. Élisapie followed suit with four Félixes, for her album Inuktitut, including Album of the Year – Covers, Album Cover, as well as Production and Arrangements, for her collaborator Joe Grass.
At the Industry Gala, it was the publishers’ turn to shine, for their essential work in the music ecosystem. This year’s Publishing Team of the Year Félix was presented by APEM to Bloc Notes Music Publishing. Publisher, on whose behalf SOCAN board member Diane Pinet accepted the award.
SOCAN met with a dozen winners in the media room at the Premier Gala – including Sara Dufour, who’d just won her first Félix, in the Album of the Year – Folk category for On va-tu prendre une marche? We asked for her reaction, and about her invaluable collaboration with singer-songwriter and producer Dany Placard.
Other awards were presented to:
- BEYRIES: Album of the Year—Adult Contemporary—Du feu dans les lilas
- Charlotte Cardin: Album of the Year—Anglophone—99 Nights
- Jeremy Dutcher: Album of the Year—Bilingual and other languages—Motewolonuwok
- Salebarbes: Album of the Year—Country—À boire deboutte
- Dominique Fils-Aimé: Album of the Year—Jazz—Our Roots Run Deep
- Florent Vollant: Album of the Year—Indigenous Languages—Tshitatau
- Cri: Album of the Year—Electronic music—Miracles
- Flore Laurentienne: Album of the Year—8 tableaux
- Mônica Freire: Album of the Year—World Music—Ilhada
- Roxane Bruneau: Album of the Year—Pop—Submergé
- Rau_Ze: Album of the Year—R&B/Soul—Virer nos vies
- Souldia: Album of the Year—Rap—Non conventionnel
- La Bottine Souriante: Album of the Year—Traditional—Domino!
- Charlotte Cardin: Concert of the Year—Anglophone—99 Nights
A moving tribute, with a special pre-recorded video message from none other than Céline Dion, was also paid to pioneer Mario Lefebvre, whose 50-year career helped modernize Québec’s music industry. A former journalist for Pop Rock magazine, he worked as a promotion agent for WEA Musique, then as marketing director for Sony Musique and Groupe Archambault/Distribution Sélect. He then became Vice President of Productions Feeling. In addition to being Garou’s manager, he worked closely with René Angélil on projects for Céline Dion and Marc Dupré, culminating in the creation of his own company, Flair Management Image Conseil. There, he has since advised numerous artists, including Roch Voisine. Lefebvre has also been a mentor to many in the industry, participating in the development and growth of several trades of the industry, including artist management.
R&B singer Barnev won the $5,000 Bourse Découverte Bell Média. For a third year, the Prix collégial de la chanson de l’année, worth $5,000, was awarded to Rau_Ze, for the song “L’Habitude,” at the Gala de l’Industrie. The award was presented by two students who took part in a jury made up of 27 Québec CEGEPs. A hundred students determined the winning artist by analyzing the 17 competing tracks, using active listening and critical judgment to crown the best song.
Several SOCAN members performed brilliantly at the First ADISQ Gala, including Alex Burger, Dominique Fils-Aimé, Galaxie, Jeremy Dutcher, Lost, Ludovick Bourgeois, Sara Dufour, and Valence.
The show will be available for catch-up viewing on telequebec.tv and on the Télé-Québec app, and will be re-broadcast on Télé-Québec on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. ET. The celebration of Québec’s recording and concert industry continues that same day, at 8:00 p.m. ET, in Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts, for the grand televised gala (on ICI Radio-Canada Télé), hosted for the first time by standup comedian Pierre-Yves Roy-Desmarais.
For a complete list of the Premier Gala and Industry gala winners, visit the ADISQ website