Shawn Mendes Wins a Record 5 SOCAN Awards in His Native Canada

Shawn Mendes Wins a Record 5 SOCAN Awards in His Native Canada

Mendes, the pride of Pickering, Ontario, Canada, was also a big winner at this year’s Juno Awards. Shawn Mendes set a new record at the 31st annual SOCAN Awards, winning five awards in a single year.

He took songwriter of the year – performer for the second time and also won the international song award (for “Señorita,” his megahit collab with Camila Cabello), an international achievement award and two pop music awards for “Señorita” and “If I Can’t Have You.”

The SOCAN Awards were originally set for March 30, but were delayed, as so many awards shows were this year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The awards were shifted to a virtual ceremony and presented this week.

Mendes, the pride of Pickering, Ontario, Canada, was also a big winner at this year’s Juno Awards, which were likewise delayed because of COVID. (That show was to have taken place on March 15.) The winners were announced in an online event on June 29. Mendes won Junos for artist of the year and single of the year for “Señorita.” He became the first artist in Juno Awards history to win single of the year three years running.

And the awards and nominations just keep on coming for the popular Mendes. He is nominated for three Billboard Music Awards: Top Hot 100 song and top collaboration (both for “Señorita”) and top radio songs artist.

In a statement, Jennifer Brown, interim CEO, SOCAN, said “Although 2020 has prevented us from presenting what we had planned to be the best live-in-person Toronto SOCAN Awards show ever, we remain thrilled to celebrate the great accomplishments of Canada’s music creators and publishers.”

Here are this year’s key SOCAN winners:

Songwriter of the year (performer) – Shawn Mendes

Songwriter of the year - producer – Adam "Frank Dukes" Feeney

Screen composer of the year – Andrew Lockington

Publisher of the year – Third Side Music

International achievement award – Shawn Mendes

Breakout songwriter award – Ozan "Oz" Yildirim

2019 Slaight Music emerging songwriter award – Lowell

International song award: “Senorita,” performed by Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello; written by Shawn Mendes

Viral song award: “It’s You,” performed by Ali Gatie; written by Adrian Allahverdi

Jan V. Matejcek new classical music award: Jared Miller

Hagood Hardy award (excellence in jazz, instrumental or world music): Laila Biali

Most streamed production: Paw Patrol. Composed by: James Chapple, Graeme Cornies, David Kelly, Brian Pickett