TKARONTO (TORONTO, ON) – SOCAN Foundation is delighted to announce Mamarudegyal MTHC (Diana Hellson) as the recipient of this year’s TD Indigenous Songwriter Award. Hellson (she/her/they/them) is an Afro-Indigenous musician from Siksiká Nation on Treaty No. 7 Territory (Alberta).
“My journey as a Song Keeper has led me to incredible places across Turtle Island, and sacred places within myself,” says Diana Hellson. “It’s truly a privilege to have the ability to express myself and all of life’s mayhem and beauty in the form of song; it is an especially high privilege to achieve a milestone like this in my career. I am so grateful to my team, my supporters, my loved ones, Napi, and Creator. Sookapi.”
The SOCAN Foundation’s TD Indigenous Songwriter Award recognizes and celebrates the artistic merit demonstrated by Indigenous songwriters of any musical genre. Hellson will receive a cash prize of $10,000 in addition to career development opportunities and a spot in SOCAN Foundation and Amazon Music’s Indigenous Song Camp in Toronto.
Honourable mention prizes of $1,000 are also being made to Falynn Baptiste [nêhiyaw/Cree, Red Pheasant Cree Nation], Sebastian Gaskin [Cree, Tataskweyak Cree Nation], Juurini [Inuk], Phyllis Sinclair [Cree, York Factory First Nation], and Joel Wood [Cree]. The winners may use the funds to support their career development in various areas including recording new music, videography, and business management.
“Empowering Indigenous voices is an essential part of reconciliation,” says Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of SOCAN Foundation. “The Indigenous Songwriter Award is designed to celebrate the craft of songwriting while elevating the experiences and perspectives of Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.
Indigenous songwriters enrich us all and we’re proud to be a part of that. We’re thankful for the ongoing support from TD for this celebration of Indigenous songwritersvin Canada.”
This special Award is made possible with the support of TD Bank Group. This year’s jury consisted of previous winner Leonard Sumner, as well as Charlotte Qamaniq and Sister Ray.
About Diana Hellson
Mamarudegyal MTHC (born Diana Hellson) is a Professional Hip Hop & R&B Artist and Founder of Indigenous Hip Hop & Multimedia Group “Rudegang Entertainment”; Based in Burnaby, BC. Releasing her debut EP “MRG EP” in 2016 and taking home two Fraser Valley Music Awards (Best Hip Hop – Female, Queer Excellence in Music) in 2017, Mamarudegyal MTHC has made quite a name for herself and has the BC Hip Hop scene waiting impatiently for her follow up album, currently in progress.
About SOCAN Foundation
Founded in 1992, SOCAN Foundation is dedicated to fostering musical creativity and promoting a better understanding of the role of music creators in today’s society. The organization is a part of the SOCAN Group of companies, and guided by a Board of Directors, which consists of composers, songwriters, and music publishers, and reflects concert music and popular music genres, as well as the geographic and linguistic regions of Canada. To learn more about SOCAN Foundation and SOCAN,visit www.socanfoundation.ca and www.socan.com.
