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PHOTO : MICHEL GAGNÉ / SOCAN
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Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize Winners Announced
The Polaris Music Prize announced the winners of the 2015 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize . The winners , by designated time periods , are : Blue by Joni Mitchell (’ 60s & ’ 70s ), The Trinity Session by Cowboy Junkies (’ 80s ), Twice Removed by Sloan (’ 90s ), and The Teaches of Peaches by Peaches (’ 00s : 2000-2005 ).
The jury consisted of 25 people from current and past Polaris juries as well as former members of the Canadian music media and Canadian music historians . The jury selected a five-title short list for each of the periods and then the public voted to determine the winners . The jury selected records in accordance with current Polaris criteria .
For more information , go to www . polarismusicprize . ca .
L-R ) GILLES VIGNEAULT , LAURENCE-LAFOND-BEAULNE & CAMILLE POLIQUIN OF MILK & BONE , SOCAN CEO ERIC BAPTISTE , PIERRE LÉTOURNEAU & KEVIN PARENT
16 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN
PHOTO : GRANT MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY
SOCAN Honours Francophone Artists At Montreal Gala
The 26 th annual SOCAN Montreal Awards Gala was held in early October where 48 awards were given out in 21 categories , including five special achievement prizes .
SOCAN ’ s new Cultural Impact Award went to legendary poet and songwriter Gilles Vigneault . The award celebrates the major cultural contribution of a song created by a SOCAN member , in this case the immortal “ Gens du pays .”
Alex Nevsky was presented with the Songwriter of the Year award and Donald Tarlton , founder of concert promoting and management company Donald K . Donald and co-founder of the Tacca Musique imprint , was presented with the SOCAN Special Achievement Award , saluting his accomplishments since the 1960s . The SOCAN Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Pierre Létourneau , who was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011 .
For more information and the full list of winners , go to www . socan . ca .
GORD BAMFORD PERFORMING AT THE 2015 CCMAS .
Gord Bamford Wins Big At CCMAs
Alberta-based country star Gord Bamford was the big winner at the 2015 Canadian Country Music Association Awards ( CCMAs ) in Halifax . Bamford took home the awards for Male Artist of the Year and Songwriter and Single of the Year for his song “ Where A Farm Used To Be .” This follows up his two CCMA awards in 2014 for Male Artist of the Year and Single of the Year .
“ I really didn ’ t expect any of this tonight … I ’ m actually really shocked that I ’ m standing up here , but at the same time , every time it happens it ’ s the best thing ever . It never gets old ,” said Bamford from the stage .
Saskatchewan ’ s Jess Moskaluke won the Female Artist of the Year award for the second year in a row while Johnny Reid won the Fans ’ Choice Award for the sixth time in seven years .
For a full list of winners , go to www . ccma . org .
THE WET SECRETS AT THE 2015 WCMAS .
BreakOut West & WCMAs A Wrap
The BreakOut West festival and conference and the Rifflandia Festival came together for the first time in 2015 for a joint event in Victoria , BC from Sept . 17-20 , 2015 . As usual , the event was capped off by the Western Canadian Music Awards ( WCMAs ).
Tanya Tagaq led the way with three WCMAs , taking home three trophies for Aboriginal , Spiritual , and World Recording of the Year for her Polaris-winning album Animism . Ridley Bent took home Country Recording of the Year , Kiesza won Electronic / Dance Recording of the Year , and The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer won two awards for Blues Recording and Independent Album of the Year .
For more information about BreakOut West and a full list of WCMA winners , go to www . breakoutwest . ca .
Windsor Musician Hoping To Revive The Birotron
Windsor , ON-based session musician and schoolteacher Chris Dale has launched a Go Fund Me campaign to restore one of the 20 th century ’ s rarest instruments , the Birotron .
First conceived of in the late 1970s , the Birotron was an eight-track tape loop-playing keyboard . Only three bands ever received one – Yes , Tangerine Dream , and Klaus Schulze with Earthstar Birotron – while other prominent musicians , including John Lennon and Led Zeppelin , were left with unfulfilled orders . It is estimated that only 13 to 35 were ever made and only five are still known to exist , with only two of those being functional .
For more information , go to www . gofundme . com / birotron .
PHOTO : MIKE PAROLINI