SPILL LIVE REVIEW: CANADIAN SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME 2026 INDUCTION CEREMONY @ MASSEY HALL, TORONTO

CANADIAN SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME 2026 INDUCTION CEREMONY

@ MASSEY HALL, TORONTO

SEPTEMBER 26, 2026

The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame has been celebrating excellence in songwriting since 2003. For the 23rd year in a row, Canadian songwriting royalty and music industry elite gathered at Toronto’s Massey Hall to celebrate the induction of four more Canadian artists to recognize their incredible songwriting. The night was dedicated to celebrating the songwriting of Paul Dean and Mike Reno of Loverboy, Roch Voisine, Feist, and The Tragically Hip.

After brief introductions by co-hosts Marie-Mai and George Stroumboulopoulos, Amanda Marshall opened the show with Loverboy’s “Turn Me Loose,” which was exactly what she did. After having discussed the power of women earlier on the red carpet, she came out and rained vocal fire onto the audience, everyone up on their feet singing along. Hers was a GTFO-of-your-seat performance, and the audience was willing and able. Ludovick Bourgeois performed a beautiful version of Roch Voisine’s breakthrough ballad, “Hélène,” complete with its haunting, signature guitar fingerpicking. Charlotte Cornfield, who herself graced the same stage as a short-listed Polaris Music Prize artist, started off the honours with Feist’s “How Come You Never Go There,” a lovely tribute to the artist who back in February added vocals to Cornfield’s own single, “Living with It.” Her hauntingly beautiful interpretation gently slowed the pace of the evening to a mellower, more introspective one, and one that was far more personal to the artist. Cree-Nation singer/songwriters Tia Wood and Sebastian Gaskin then performed a beautiful interpretation The Tragically Hip’s “Bobcaygeon,” Canada’s favourite love song.

The rest of the evening featured a section dedicated to each of the four inductees. Video presentations highlighting their careers, with dozens of video appearances by musicians and songwriters, industry professionals, the names too numerous to mention. Each presentation was equally informative and entertaining, all sharing the power and influence of each of the inductees of the music industry, both in Canada and abroad.

Loverboy rode the incredible wave of fresh, new Canadian rock bands discovering huge success not just in Canada, but across North America in the very early 1980s. Their hits came one after the other, songs which have consistently remained a staple of Canadian radio – and backyard and lakeside parties – ever since. Hit after hit throughout the 80s, their songs became woven into the fabric of Canadian Music. The musical genius behind those legendary songs were Paul Dean and Mike Reno, the first two inductees of the night, with Dean in attendance to accept the award.

TALK (Nicholas Durocher), and Todd Kerns were on hand to perform two of Loverboy’s biggest hits, and all three (including Marshall) pulled off fantastic performances. TALK’s powerhouse version of “Working for the Weekend” was another crowd pleaser. Earlier, on the red carpet, he spoke of the universality of the lyrics, in particular the title, and that the concept of working for the weekend “transcends generations.” Lastly, Todd Kerns delivered a surprisingly slick performance of “The Kid is Hot Tonight.” The three performances demonstrated the power of Loverboy’s music; the crowd sang along to all three songs. You may have thought you didn’t know the lyrics, but somehow, they just streamed from your soul. The timing, the catchy lyrics, the explosive vocals, and the electrifyingly intense instrumentation, are all part and parcel of Dean and Reno’s magical songwriting.

SPILL FEATURE: WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND – A CONVERSATION WITH PAUL DEAN OF LOVERBOY

Acadian-Québécois singer-songwriter and actor, Roch Voisine, OC CQ ONB, is one of only two Canadian artists, along with Céline Dion, who has achieved international success writing and performing in both English and French. He became hugely successful in France before making it big here at home, and his historic Spring 1992 Europe Tour, saw the birth of “Rochmania,” yes, just like Beatlemania, but on a smaller scale. Having attended the University of Ottawa at the same time as Voisine and having to pass through his student lounge area daily to get to classes, he already had a large female entourage at the time. Though you couldn’t always see him, you knew who was at the centre of the crowd as you tried to get by. Though music was not his chosen profession at the time, it was clear that he was destined for greatness. Having spoken with Voisine backstage, it is not hard to understand why. He is highly personable, funny, and has an amazing capacity to put you at ease. The video presentation shared the common element of his wonderful ability to work with others and make them feel at ease. David Foster went as far as to call him an influence of his, and Alan Frew himself declared, “What is there not to hate?”

Sarah Dufour and Matt Lang then gave a rousing rendition of “Dahlin’” and “Kissing Rain,” to which Voisine sang along from the audience, and was the first to stand up for an ovation. Voisine later joined Isabelle Boulay onstage for a beautiful performance of “I’ll Always Be There,” along with a backing choir. His induction trophy was presented to him by Olympic athletes and members of the Montreal Victoire hockey players Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey.

Leslie Feist, seen everywhere from Sesame Street to onstage with Broken Social Scene, her softly sung songs are everywhere. Born on the East Coast, she grew up on the Prairies and eventually made her way to Toronto to work on her career. Feist had the honour of singing Gord Downie’s vocals when she performed with The Tragically Hip at the 2021 Juno Awards. Her voice ranges from soft to powerful, her music is truly magical.

Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy performed a solo acoustic rendition of “The Park,” bringing the audience to their feet. Finneas, a close personal friend of Feist, came out and shared some comical and heartwarming stories of their deep connections, before launching into “My Moon My Man, “which has been released as an Amazon single. He also had the honour of presenting her with her trophy.

Feist spent a great portion of her acceptance speech sharing reflections about her songwriting process, comparing the creation of a song to alchemy. This is a concept she refers to frequently, using music and lyrics to weave the big emotions and sad events of her life into beautiful and hopeful songs and music. This is a fair comparison, given the three steps of alchemy include comprehension, deconstruction, and reconstruction. “Songs don’t have rules,” she shared, making the songwriting process even more complex.

Undeniably, no other Canadian band has united the country in the way that The Tragically Hip did with their final show, “A National Celebration,” on August 20, 2016. Almost 12 million Canadians watched the show that night, either live in Kingston, from music venues across the country, or in the comfort of their own home. If any band has ever represented Canadian Unity, it is The Hip. In the most touching part of the evening, co-host George Stroumboulopoulos introduced the final inductees, announcing that four out of the five members were there, but he had a feeling that the fifth one was there too. A spotlight then lit up centre stage, a suitcase was brought out, and the purple wide brimmed hat Downie wore on the final tour was gently placed on the single microphone stand, bringing the crowd to their feet. Gord was in the room.

Allison Russell took to the stage and performed “Wheat Kings.” Her performance was passionate and emotional; before leaving, she bowed and blew a kiss to the hat while making a quick exit from the stage. Such a beautiful, fitting tribute. Dallas Green and Ruby Waters then came out and performed Canada’s other National Anthem, “Ahead By A Century,” their interpretation emotional and gripping. This was The Tragically Hip’s final song of their final show of their final tour.

Jay Baruchel, a life-long fan of The Tragically Hip, shared a few words of the impact of the band and their music before handing them their trophy. “Music means something different to every household … a song comes back into our lives like a life preserver.” Music gets us through the tough times in our lives. He then invited the final inductees onto the stage to accept their award.
The Tragically Hip then took the stage. The band was reunited in spirit, as Rob Baker shared the many stories of how they came together as one, how happy they were to have Downie as their frontman, and sharing loving stories of the unique and special relationship the band had. “One element is missing, so it’s broken.” So are we, Rob, so are we.

To top off the evening, a final performance by Our Lady Peace of “Locked in the Trunk of the Car” sent the crowd home on celebratory note. Everyone had a smile on their face.

Music has the incredible power to heal, to unite, to influence. The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame has done a fantastic job tonight, highlighting not only the songwriting talents of these four inductees – Mike Reno and Paul Dean, Roch Voisine, Feist, and The Tragically Hip, but of the power and the influence they have had on the Canadian Musical landscape. What a celebration of music. So proud to be Canadian!

ABOUT CANADIAN SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME (CSHF)

The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) is the nation’s premier institution dedicated to honouring and celebrating Canada’s greatest songwriters. Through its prestigious Induction Ceremony and year-round programming, the CSHF recognizes the creators whose work has shaped Canada’s cultural identity while championing the voices defining its future. As a national, bilingual non-profit, the CSHF connects legendary songwriters with emerging talent through flagship initiatives including LEGENDS, Song & Score Week, and the Breakthrough Songwriter Award, providing mentorship, career development, and industry access. Acquired by SOCAN in 2011, the CSHF operates independently under its own Board of Directors, representing leading Anglophone and Francophone creators and publishers.

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