The Tragically Hip, Loverboy songwriters Mike Reno and Paul Dean, Feist and Roch Voisine are headed to The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF). All platinum-plus selling and award-winning artists, they will all become 2026 inductees.
They will receive this prestigious honour at an induction ceremony presented by Amazon Music that will take place at Massey Hall in Toronto on September 26. The evening will feature performances and tributes from Canadian and global artists paying tribute to their songbooks. Performers and guests will be announced soon.
The event will also be livestreamed globally on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch for the second time, and streamed across Canada on Prime Video.
The Tragically Hip have sold over 14 million albums worldwide and won 17 Juno Awards, including the Humanitarian Award at the 50th Juno Awards. They were honoured with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2002, and in 2022, recognized again for their humanitarian efforts supporting social and environmental justice.
In a statement, the band express gratitude for the honour but regret that the late Gord Downie can’t be there to celebrate with them.
“We’re excited to be entering the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and joining previous inductees, as well as this year’s, whose songs we greatly admire,” they say. “It is humbling to be in their company; although it is bittersweet that our bandmate, lyricist and dear friend, Gord Downie, will not be standing with us.”
Read more on all the nominees here. — Kerry Doole
Breakout Canadian Artist TALK Signs With Big Loud Rock, Releases First Single in Three Years
Big Loud Rock — the alternative and rock imprint of heavyweight U.S. country label Big Loud Records — has added a rising Canadian act to its roster.
The Nashville-based label announced the signing of TALK today (May 1). It coincides with the release of his first single in three years, “Time Machine,” out now.
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Known for crafting cinematic alternative and pop-rock anthems, the vocal powerhouse, born Nicholas Durocher, captured listeners with his debut single, “Run Away To Mars,” inspired by Christopher Nolan’s film Interstellar.
Released in 2021, the heartfelt ballad resonated with listeners during the pandemic, and went viral on TikTok and across streaming services. The song peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, and made major waves across the border, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart and receiving a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Two years later, TALK shared his debut album, Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees. It went gold in his home country, was longlisted for 2024’s Polaris Music Prize and led to his first-ever Juno win for breakthrough artist of the year. Since then, he has performed alongside artists like Shania Twain and Luke Combs, while landing major synch placements in Grey’s Anatomy and CBS’s Tracker.
Now, he’s stepping into a new era with the U.S. label imprint, as he gears up for his sophomore record, which he worked on at Sandy Pandya’s Toronto-based music company, ArtHaus, which handles his management.
“Big Loud Rock quickly emerged as the most exciting partner to work with on my second album,” he says. “Their belief in pure artistry, drive, and heart above all else has renewed my belief in this unpredictable industry. I’m more than proud to call them my home.”
TALK joins fellow label signees including HARDY, Blame My Youth, Dexter and the Moonrocks, Girl Tones, , Mercury, Zoe Ko and more.
“We’re excited to welcome TALK into the Big Loud Rock family,” shares Big Loud partner and Big Loud Rock president Joey Moi (a Canadian living in Nashville). “His powerhouse vocals and eccentric creative concepts really blew us away. He brings such a fresh, infectious energy to the alternative rock space that we couldn’t help but immerse ourselves in it.”
Moi and his team aren’t wasting any time showcasing TALK’s talents to the world, with the new single “Time Machine” out today. The song is co-produced by Moi, Tofer Brown, TALK and Connor Riddell.
Listen and read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh
CMRRA Marks 50th Anniversary by Distributing $94 Million in Royalties to Publishers and Songwriters in 2025
The Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) is marking 50 years with some good news. The agency has revealed that it distributed $94 million in royalties to publishers and self-published songwriters in 2025.
While it’s a notable figure, it’s an overall 2% decrease in distributions from 2024, which saw the agency distributing $96 million. Still, 2025’s numbers are a 19% increase from 2023’s figures at $78 million.
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This year, much of the CMRAA’s growth is credited to its 477 new client affiliations, which include music publishers, self-published songwriters and administrators. Of that number, 137 were allotted for international collections – a royalty segment the agency didn’t start collecting until 2021. It’s a 33% increase in client affiliations from last year.
Meanwhile, broadcast mechanical distributions — royalty payments that are issued when a musical composition is reused for broadcast on radio or TV — increased by 119%.
It’s a change from the major drivers for last year’s distribution numbers, which were fuelled by a growth in streaming and TikTok.
The numbers come hot on the heels of the CMRRA’s 50th anniversary. In 2025, the agency reported that it renewed licensing deals with major streaming platforms and collaborated with partners including the Juno Awards, Honey Jam and the Indigenous Music Summit.
Looking ahead, the agency shares it will remain focused on supporting music publishers and self‑published songwriters, as the rise of AI and modern technology continues to dominate the Canadian music industry. Ensuring that partners “respect copyright and value songs as creative works,” the agency will continue evolving its licensing framework to be “grounded in consent, transparency and fair value for creators.”
“As we build on our 50‑year legacy, CMRRA is focused on the future, investing in technology, data intelligence, and scalable services that support music publishers and self‑published songwriters,” says the agency’s president, Paul Shaver. “The industry is evolving rapidly, and CMRRA is committed to leading that change by delivering smarter tools, building stronger relationships and creating sustainable opportunities for our clients well into the future.”
Read more here. — H.T.S.
