Reddick, Linden win SOCAN-sponsored Maple Blues Songwriter Award

Paul Reddick, pictured at SOCAN's “Songs & Stories” songwriters’ circle during Blues Summit V, which preceeded the 2011 Maple Blues Awards. Reddick and Colin Linden won the SOCAN-sponsored Songwriter of the Year award. (Photo: www.jamesdeanphotography.com)

Paul Reddick and Colin Linden won the SOCAN-sponsored Songwriter of the Year honours at the 14th annual Maple Blues Awards, presented Jan. 17, 2011, at Koerner Hall in Toronto. (Linden could not attend the ceremonies, so Reddick accepted the honour on behalf of the songwriting duo.)

Ottawa-based blues band Monkey Junk was the night's big winner, taking home three awards for Electric Act, Harmonica Player (Steve Marriner) and Drummer (Matt Sobb) of the Year. East Coast bluesman Matt Andersen garnered two awards, for Entertainer and Acoustic Act of the Year. Rita Chiarelli was presented the Blues With A Feeling Award in recognition of her career as one of the greatest female blues musicians in Canada, while Richard "King Biscuit Boy" Newell received a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to the blues.

The awards ceremonies were highlighted by a series of outstanding performances from winners and nominees Jack de Keyzer, Tom Lavin, Matt Andersen, Shakura S’Aida and Dawn Tyler Watson, all backed by The Maple Blues Band.

The Maple Blues Awards are funded in part by the SOCAN Foundation. For a complete list of this year’s winners, visit the Maple Blues Awards website.

The day before the awards, on Jan. 16, as part of the affiliated “Blues Summit V,” SOCAN presented a “Songs & Stories” songwriters’ circle for delegates, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at Monarch’s Pub in the host hotel, Toronto’s Delta Chelsea. The event was hosted by Tom Lavin (of Powder Blues), with performances by Thom Swift, Layla Zoe and Paul Reddick (accompanied by his guitarist, Teddy Leonard).