Nickelback, Jepsen to be honoured at SOCAN Awards
No foolin’: Nickelback and Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” are among the honourees at the 30th anniversary SOCAN awards in Toronto Monday night.
Chad Kroeger, whose band and music has become a controversial touchstone for reasons no one can quite explain, will be honored as the most performed singer in SOCAN history for his work in Nickelback.
That’s quiet the accomplishment, isn’t it? And one that’s not altogether all that surprising, considering the animosity the band has faced for most of its more than 20-year career. (How has it been that long!?) Billboard named Nickelback the group of the decade back in 2009 and they’re still out there, touring and creating new music.
The band has certified diamond status, meaning more than 10 million units sold. Even accounting for some albums or songs purchased as a gag gift or quickly forgotten about in a pile of CDs, a large number of those albums are beloved by dedicated fans. Kroeger’s honour has been earned.
Joining him on the stage that night will be Jepsen for her oh-so-contagious earworm “Call Me Maybe,” which is being recognized as the most performed song in SOCAN history after hitting number one in 47 countries around the world.
How popular is it? In 2017, five years after the song was released, Billboard reported it had been viewed on YouTube more than a BILLION times. That’s an average of 250,000 views per day, down considerably from the 1.9 million daily views it was getting after its initial release to the world in 2012.
Other honourees include Jack Lenz, who will be recognized as the most performed screen composer in SOCAN history, for works including Due South, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Atomic Betty and Goosebumps.
Drake will be recognized as the songwriter of the year; Ed Robertson’s theme song for the Big Bang Theory will be honoured with the SOCAN Cultural Impact Award for the show’s effect on pop culture; Jessie Reyez, fresh off her Juno win, will be awarded SOCAN’s breakout songwriter distinction; Murda Beatz will be recognized with the SOCAN international achievement award, and Frank Dukes will receive the songwriter of the year award (producer) for his work with Post Malone, The Weeknd and Cardi B.
The highlight of the evening for many is likely to be the induction of Buffy Sainte-Marie into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame for her many achievements and her incredible body of work.
Scheduled to perform at the ceremony will be Dallas Smith and the Barenaked Ladies, in addition to Meghan Patrick, Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine and Anders.
As noted previously, the SOCAN is the only award in the music industry that’s also a playable instrument – this years will be tuned to notes from “Call Me Maybe” selected by Jepsen.
