Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Announce Finalists for the 2025 Breakthrough Songwriter Award presented by the SOCAN Foundation

The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) is pleased to announce the 2025 finalists of the Breakthrough Songwriter Award presented by the SOCAN Foundation with support from Amazon Music. The Award celebrates the current achievements and bright futures of Canadian songwriters who are on an upward trajectory in their careers.

This year’s finalists include six French-language and six non-French-language songwriters from across Canada, showcasing the country’s rich and diverse talent.

Each winner will receive a $7,500 cash prize tied to a customized career development plan, and global exposure through Amazon Music resources and playlisting—thanks to the support and generosity of the SOCAN Foundation and Amazon Music.

In addition, the winners will be honoured during a special presentation at the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Legends event in Toronto or Montreal this fall. For more information, read the CSHF press release here. 

The CSHF and SOCAN Foundation invite the public to discover fresh new music and vote daily for their favourite songwriter, as the second round of jury voting gets underway.

Fans can cast one vote per day at cshf.ca/songwriter-award until September 16 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Each fan vote counts as a bonus vote toward their chosen nominee.

Winners in both categories will be announced on September 18.

Past winners of this Award include Aaron Paris, Fredz, Eli Brown, Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Mustafa, Ariane Roy, Charlotte Cardin, Jessie Reyez, Lowell, and Les Louanges.

This year’s Breakthrough Songwriter Award consisted of 19 outstanding candidates.

The top finalists were determined after a first round of voting by a juried panel of music industry professionals.

The 2025 finalists in the Non-French Language category are: 

Chris LaRocca: In a previous life, Chris LaRocca was a fixture in Toronto’s DIY scene, playing sweaty basements around North America with his math rock band. As that chapter of his sound slowly faded into the rearview, LaRocca transitioned from the stage to the studio, establishing himself as a dynamic producer and sought-after collaborator for top-shelf names like Kali Uchis, Summer Walker, Bryson Tiller, Russ, and Stray Kids. He soon caught the attention of GRAMMY-nominated, JUNO Award-winning producer, WondaGurl, joining her Wonderchild roster. His first full-length featured the song “linger”, which he brought to the screen in a heart-wrenchingly beautiful short film that won a Cannes Lion, among other accolades. Working with Daniel Lanois (Neil Young, Bob Dylan) on his recent LP “dog years” set to release October 3rd, 2025, LaRocca felt confident to not only traverse new genres, but to dive deep into his personal life. “dog years” is both a time-lapse that sees his relationships bloom and a love letter to himself.

Gus Van Go: Gus van Go is a Canadian producer, mixer, musician, and songwriter, currently based in Toronto. He has worked with many of Canada’s most beloved artists like Metric, The Beaches, Arkells, Sam Roberts, Dear Rouge, and Whitehorse, to name a few. He is best known for co-writing and producing The Beaches viral single, “Blame Brett”. In 2025, he and his long time collaborator Lowell co-wrote 4 songs for breakthrough buzz artist Baby Nova, including the song “Too Pretty For Buffalo”, which brought him to the attention of famed American record executive Mike Caren, who then signed van Go to APG (Artist Publishing Group) as a songwriter.

Kayla Diamond: Kayla Diamond is a powerhouse producer, songwriter, and label owner based in Montreal/Toronto/LA. A former law student turned charting artist, she’s since become a sought-after force behind the scenes, amassing 80M+ streams, global syncs (NBC, Netflix, etc.), and acclaim from Tiësto to Armin Van Buuren. As Canada’s youngest female label owner/producer (Kolossal Records/The Orchard), Kayla’s credits span The Strumbellas, Dom Vallie, and Sofia Camara. With a 2025 Juno nomination for Rap Album of the Year, a #1 CBC single, and scoring a scene in Rebel Wilson’s new film Bride Hard, she’s redefining what it means to be a multi-hyphenate in modern pop.

Nemahsis: Nemahsis is a Palestinian-Canadian singer-songwriter whose powerful voice and personal storytelling explore identity, belonging, and the lived experience of being a hijabi Muslim woman. Blending pop, R&B, and alternative sounds, her 2024 debut album Verbathim earned critical acclaim and praise from icons like Stevie Wonder and Elton John. In 2025, she completed a sold-out North American tour and won two JUNO Awards, including Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Named Women In Music’s Artist of the Year, Nemahsis continues to redefine independence in music, offering narrative depth, cultural clarity, and an unwavering authenticity that sets her apart in today’s fast-moving landscape.

Noeline Hofmann: Noeline Hofmann, a 21-year-old country artist hailing from the rugged Badlands of Southern Alberta, Canada, is making a name for herself in the world of independent country music. From bittersweet ballad to gritty barn burner, Hofmann brings the glowing expanse of the Plains to the stage, drawing deep inspiration from her experiences working in honky tonks and as a ranch hand across the prairies. Praised for her “mature and haunting voice, and an innate knack for storytelling” (Whiskey Riff), she has been named one of Holler Country’s “New Country & Americana Artists for 2024″ and released her debut EP, Purple Gas, on October 18. The EP includes recent singles “Rodeo Junkies,” “August,” “Lightning in July (Prairie Fire)” and “Purple Gas,” which originally gained notable attention after being featured on Zach Bryan’s Belting Bronco YouTube series and was recorded as a duet for his album, The Great American Bar Scene. “Purple Gas” has reached over 100M+ global streams and Noeline has reached over 1.1M monthly listeners on Spotify. As such, she was chosen as Spotify’s EQUAL artist of the month in Dec 2024 and was included on RADAR Canada’s Best of 2024 List. She was chosen as Amazon Music’s Artist To Watch 2025 and Apple’s Up Next Artist. Noeline made her Grand Ole Opry debut in September 2024 and has toured alongside artists such as Turnpike Troubadours, Charley Crockett, Colter Wall, Wyatt Flores, Zach Top and Shane Smith & The Saints.

Preston Pablo: JUNO Award winner Preston Pablo is one of the fastest growing Pop/R&B artists in the country right now with over 172 million streams from his breakthrough hit “Flowers Need Rain” with multi-platinum producer-songwriters Banx & Ranx, a feature “Admirin’ You” from Karan Aujla’s highest-charting Punjabi album in Canadian history, 718K UGC creates from his viral social media and top 10 radio hit “Dance Alone”.  The past year of exponential growth and working with top producers like Banx & Ranx, Rico Love, Ikky, Sammy SoSo, Euro, Milano, and Nate Ferraro, has helped shape and define Preston’s musical direction.

In the French Language category for the Breakthrough Songwriter Award, the finalists are Billie du Page, Caroline Savoie, Étienne Fletcher, Rau_Ze, Valence, and Virginie B.  

For more information, music streaming, and voting, visit cshf.ca/songwriter-award/

ABOUT THE SOCAN FOUNDATION

SOCAN Foundation fosters, sustains, and promotes the creation of Canadian music. Through grants, awards, and programs, the Foundation supports SOCAN members at all stages of their careers, alongside music creators, publishers, and organizations across the country. Guided by its vision, SOCAN Foundation works to create an environment where Canadian music and its creators thrive, while deepening public understanding of the vital role music plays in society.

For more information, visit www.socanfoundation.ca