In addition to our SOCAN HQ activities, SOCAN was on the scene and on the go during JUNO weekend 2025, co-presenting the ever-popular JUNO Songwriters Circle, honouring several high-profile members with No. 1 Song awards, and providing educational opportunities for our songwriters, producers, and composers.
Known as “the jewel of the JUNOs,” The Songwriters Circle – held March 29, at The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts – offered candid conversations and thrilling performances that created memorable connections between the artists and the audience. Onstage were JUNO-nominated artists Alexander Stewart, Dylan Sinclair, Elisapie, Leif Vollebekk, Lowell, Luna Li, and Nemahsis, as well as Humanitarian Award recipient Sarah Harmer.
Elisapie, Lowell, and Nemahsis would each go on to win 2025 JUNOs: Elisapie for Adult Alternative Album (Inktitut); Lowell, the first-ever Songwriter (Non-Performer) honour; and for Nemahsis, two wins, for Breakthrough Artist or Group as well as Alternative Album (Interlude (When a Thought Grows Wings)).
At a SOCAN private celebration in his honour, Boi-1da (aka Matthew Samuels) – who also received the International Achievement Award at the 2025 JUNOs – received his SOCAN No. 1 Song Award for co-writing “First Person Shooter,” performed by Drake Featuring J. Cole, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 on Oct. 21, 2023.
Deryck Whibley was similarly honoured by SOCAN, for writing “Landmines” and “Dopamine,” both performed by Sum 41, the former topping the Mediabase Alternative Chart on Dec. 11, 2023, the latter peaking on the Mediabase Canada Active Rock and Rock Big Picture charts on July 1, 2024. “Landmines” is published by Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd. Canada.
We awarded Haviah Mighty for co-writing “Trendsetter” with Connor Price, performed by Mighty herself, which reached the zenith of the CBC Music Top 20 on Jan. 18, 2024.
During the weekend, at our Vancouver offices on Water Street, we presented a SOCAN 101 education session for our members – breaking down rights and royalties, and the SOCAN Foundation, for songwriters, producers, and composers. Similarly, at the same location, we held two hours’ worth of “speed dating,” one-on-one, face-to-face meetings where our members were able to meet with members of both the SOCAN and SOCAN Foundation teams.