Charlotte Cardin is passing the torch.

After winning Billboard Canada‘s inaugural Woman of the Year award in 2024, the Montreal pop singer-songwriter announced this year’s winner: The Beaches.

“I’m so happy for them!” she said, opening the envelope and smiling. “It’s so well deserved. They’ve been killing it for a long time. They’re really, really, really awesome girls.”

Cardin and iHeartRadio host Shannon Burns got on a video call with The Beaches to deliver the news on Aug, 29 — the same day the band was celebrating the release of its brand new album, No Hard Feelings.

“I just wanted to congratulate you and tell you that I love you guys and I think your music is so amazing,” Cardin told the band, who gathered together to hear the news. “I’m just rooting for you always, always, always.”

After spending the summer having their songs screamed back at them by tens of thousands of fans at Coachella, Osheaga and Pukkelpop in Belgium, the Toronto band has released its critically acclaimed new album, No Hard Feelings.

The tour will next bring the band to its most monumental concert so far, with the group slated to play its largest ever headlining show at its hometown Scotiabank Arena on Nov. 6.

Amidst that whirlwind, The Beaches will mark yet another career milestone after being named Women of the Year at Billboard Canada Women in Music 2025 — the first time Billboard’s prestigious flagship award will go to a group rather than a single artist.

The entire band — Jordan Miller (lead vocals, bass), Kylie Miller (guitar), Leandra Earl (guitar, keys) and Eliza Enman-McDaniel (drums) — will accept the honour at Billboard Canada Women in Music on Oct. 1 at Rebel in Toronto.

“We’re so honoured to be celebrated alongside so many incredible women who have done so much for the music industry,” says Kylie Miller in a new Billboard Canada cover story.

“Our team is built around women working together, so anytime we get to celebrate communities of women uplifting one another, it feels amazing,” adds her sister Jordan.

Read about The Beaches’ viral rise and the momentum that is bringing them to even bigger heights in a new Billboard Canada cover story here. – Richard Trapunski

Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol Crash Drake’s Toronto House in Nirvanna the Band the Show The Movie

Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol will do anything for the bit.

Last May, a security guard was shot outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto. As local TV crews rushed to the scene, Johnson and McCarrol used it as a filming opportunity.

The duo, known as Nirvanna the Band, brought their own cameras to document the crime scene for their movie, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 4.

It’s a revival of the pair’s beloved web series and TV show, Nirvanna the Band the Show, which thrived on public stunts and inside jokes.

In the film, Johnson and McCarrol reprise their roles as two floundering Toronto musicians on a mission to book a show at local Toronto bar The Rivoli — which, of course, doesn’t go as planned.

Johnson and McCarrol were filming a scene for their movie as guests on the local morning radio program, The Roz & Mocha Show, when they heard a guard had been shot outside Drake’s residence.

“Because it was a radio station, they got the news of the Drake shooting right there,” Johnson told The Canadian Press. They immediately knew it was a unique opportunity that couldn’t be passed up.

“[We] just got into the van that we’d taken there and we drove to Drake’s house,” the BlackBerry director said.

One sequence in the movie captures the breaking-news media frenzy outside the Toronto rapper’s house. “There were helicopters in the sky, police lined up and down the street,” Johnson said.

When the duo initially arrived at Drake’s house, their crew was met with a police barricade and skeptical officers. The pair managed to slip past by claiming they were “independent media.”

Once at the crime scene, they began scouting opportunities to turn the situation into film fodder. In a viral CP24 clip, a reporter delivers a live segment (6:07) while Johnson is in the background directing the film’s cinematographer, Jared Raab.

In Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, the duo puts Toronto at the forefront, staging gonzo-style sequences featuring the CN Tower, the Rogers Centre and TTC streetcars.

Read more here. – Heather Taylor-Singh

Joni Mitchell, Boi-1da, Drake and Shubh Among 2025 SOCAN Special Achievement Winners

The SOCAN Special Achievement Winners have been announced.

The 35th SOCAN Awards shared the recipients in celebration of the organization’s 100th anniversary. The accolade spotlights Canada’s most accomplished songwriters, composers and music publishers — representing the breadth and global influence of homegrown talent. Last year’s winners included Arkells, K’naan, Drake and Lauren Spencer Smith.

This year’s list of honourees includes Canadian icon and cultural impact award winner Joni Mitchell, who has left an indelible mark on music and culture, inspiring generations with her profound artistry.

Elsewhere, Boi-1da, who has helped to define the sound of rap and R&B artists locally and globally with his groundbreaking production work, will take home the global impact award. And his frequent collaborator, Drake, is being honored as the songwriter of the year — performer for the fourth time.

Breakout songwriter award winner Shubh, a Punjabi artist, has emerged as one of the country’s most exciting new voices, captivating audiences worldwide and amassing billions of streams, with a rapidly growing global fan base.

Other recipients include Lowell, Jordan Gagne, Evan Blair, Ozan “Oz” Yildirim, Erica Procunier, and bülow and Nathan Ferraro.

“This year’s honourees showcase just how influential Canadian music is, from cultural icons to global hitmakers and powerful new voices,” said Jennifer Brown, SOCAN CEO, in a statement. “At a time when creators are navigating big changes in the music industry, it’s important to celebrate their achievements, and to remind them that they’re part of a strong community working with them and for them.”

The SOCAN Awards will be held on Sept. 29 at Toronto’s Rebel venue, with winners in various categories announced during the event.

Find all the winners here. – Heather Taylor-Singh