2003 SOCAN AWARDS
TORONTO SHOW
The Art Gallery of Ontario's Walker Court was the scene for a grand celebration of Canadian music creators: the SOCAN Awards Toronto gala on November 24, 2003. Québécois legend Robert Charlebois was the toast of the evening, earning the coveted Wm. Harold Moon Award for bringing international attention to Canada over the course of his four-decade career. SOCAN Classics were presented to four songwriters: Tom Cochrane for “Life Is a Highway”; the evening’s host, Lawrence Gowan, for “Moonlight Desires”; Shirley Eikhard for her Bonnie Raitt hit “Something to Talk About”; and Corey Hart for “ln Your Soul” and “Sunglasses at Night.”
Nickelback's Chad Kroeger captured the Rock Music Award for “Hero” as well as International Achievement Awards for that song and, with his bandmates, “How You Remind Me.” Avril Lavigne earned a Pop Award and an International Achievement Award for her gigantic hit “Complicated”; Stephan Moccio and Aldo Nova won as co-writers of Celine Dion's chart-topper “A New Day Has Come” (feted in the Pop and International Achievement categories). Nashville-based Canadian Naoise Sheridan won for penning the Kenny Chesney hit “Young” (recognized in the Country and International Achievement categories). Carolyn Dawn Johnson won a Country award for “You Are” and an International Achievement award for “l Don't Want You to Go.” Soul sensation Glenn Lewis earned an International Achievement Award for his song “Don't You Forget It” (co-written with ASCAP's Andre Harris), and thanked SOCAN “for providing me with one of the heftiest cheques I've seen in my life and for their tireless work in supporting songwriters.”
Special citations were presented to Tom Cochrane (National Achievement Award) and industry builder Brian Chater (Special Achievement Award). Cochrane expressed his gratitude to all who have helped build his career, and for the freedom it has provided him to pursue his charity work. “Without the energy and commitment and faith of SOCAN, I'd still be driving a cab,” he said. "Thanks for keeping an eye on me and for lobbying on our behalf.”
MONTRÉAL SHOW
“One thing is for sure - the so-called music industry crisis did not arise because people rejected the music we’re creating. Quite to the contrary, it developed because people love music more than ever before,” SOCAN president Earl Rosen stated as he opened the 14th Montreal SOCAN Awards at the Omni Mont-Royal Hotel on November 25, 2003.
A Louise Forestier in brilliant form replaced Michel Rivard at a moment’s notice as the show’s host after he suddenly fell sick. The National Achievement Award was presented to pianist-composer François Cousineau while Robert Charlebois received the Wm. Harold Moon Award from prolific humorist-designer Stéphane Laporte, who publicly admitted: “The first time I heard [Charlebois’] “Lindbergh,” I couldn’t make out any of the words, and I only understood a while later that it was not because I had been smoking any of the weed he was concealing in his hair! He inspired me for a lifetime of creativity. He has revolutionized Quebec popular music.” Other SOCAN Award winners included, among others, Daniel Bélanger, Kevin Parent, Aldo Nova, Christian Clermont, Raymond Fabi, Philippe Leduc, Jeff Fisher, Mark Giannetti and Alain Caron.
