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A tribute to the iconic Serge Fiori
Creative impact of music publishers recognized with new award.
Montréal, May 3, 2026 — 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.”
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
See the full list of winners from the 2026 SOCAN Gala.
The Gala SOCAN 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.
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Media Contacts
Roy & Turner Communications, on behalf of SOCAN: Marie-France Côté, mfcote@roy-turner.com
SOCAN: Éloïse Thibault, eloise.thibault@socan.com