SOCAN presented Derek Christoff (a.k.a. D-Sisive) and Rob Bakker (a.k.a. Muneshine) with a $5,000 award for winning the fourth annual ECHO Songwriting Prize, for the song “Nobody with a Notepad.” SOCAN Board member Jodie Ferneyhough and Education & Outreach Manager Rodney Murphy presented the cheque during an intimate dinner on the evening of Nov. 10, 2009, at the Sassafraz restaurant in Toronto's fashionable downtown Yorkville district. Both songwriters -- who graciously thanked SOCAN for the award -- were accompanied by their partners, and by their management team of Adam Sewell and Tracey McNamara.

Over the summer of 2009, an independent panel of 10 music community tastemakers selected the five songs they felt best showed the variety and creativity of independent, up-and-coming Canadian songwriters. Thousands of music lovers voted from Sept. 1 - 29, 2009 and, in the face of some stiff competition, “Nobody with a Notepad” emerged as the winning song.

The other nominated songs for the ECHO Songwriting Prize were:

• “Lay Down In the Tall Grass” written by Taylor Kirk, performed by Timber Timbre
• “Love Can Be So Mean” written by Sebastien Grainger, performed by Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains
• “Through and Through and Through” written and performed by Joel Plaskett
• “Some Are Lakes” written by Elizabeth Powell, performed by Land of Talk

The Francophone counterpart of the award, Prix de la chanson ÉCHO, has been awarded to Bernard Adamus for his song "La question à 100 piasses."

For further information on the ECHO Songwriting Prize please visit www.echoprize.ca.