Damien Robitaille wins SOCAN Award at 2011 Trille Or Gala

Singer-songwriter Damien Robitaille was presented with the SOCAN Songwriter par Excellence Award on March 24, 2011, as part of the sixth annual Trille Or Awards celebrating Francophone music in Ontario. Robitaille, a SOCAN member, also received awards for Best Album (for Homme autonome) and Male Performer par Excellence, and accepted his trophies by video link from Europe, where he was touring. As part of the non-televised ceremony held the day before, Robitaille won three earlier awards for Most Successful Franco-Ontarian Artist or Group Outside the Province, Best Show and Media Choice.

The Awards also featured a rousing tribute to Franco-Ontarian singer-songwriter Donald Poliquin, whose best-loved songs were performed as part of the March 24 ceremony by a variety of artists, including Yvan Vollé, Cindy Doire, Geneviève Toupin and Louis-Philippe Robitaille, himself nominated in six categories and winner of the Discovery Award.

The Trille Or Awards are co-produced by the Association des professionnels de la chanson et de la musique (APCM) – an organization promoting the development of Francophone music in Ontario and Canada’s Western Provinces – and the Société Radio-Canada. The four-day pre-awards celebration, which included showcases and a music conference, “was a great opportunity to meet our members – not just the nominees, but other professionals from the Franco-Ontarian music industry,” said Quebec region Member Services Manager Joanne Pouliot, who represented SOCAN at the event, along with Relationship Specialist Stéphanie Falco.