After weeks of listening to artists from across Canada, the judges for this year’s Searchlight contest have chosen the grand prize winner and four secondary winners for outstanding Indigenous artist, outstanding country artist, top teen and the songwriting prize.
Grand prize winner: Maggie Andrew from Halifax with ‘About Us’
Maggie Andrew’s edgy, alternative pop blends a mix of genres spanning R&B, punk and more for a unique sound. She’s amassed more than five million streams and has already received several accolades, including the SOCAN x Sirius XM Young Canadian Songwriters Award in 2021. Andrew was also a finalist in Searchlight last year, making the top 10.
“Winning Searchlight is a really incredible feeling, in a way it still hasn’t sunk in yet. There are so many people around me who have helped and continue to help bring my visions to life and without them I know I wouldn’t be here right now,” Andrew said. “I’m really excited! Searchlight this year was filled with so many talented artists, ones who I am lucky to call friends and others that I admire very much. I’m feeling a lot of gratitude and truly just happy to be here.”
“Maggie is such a force,” said Keziah Myers, one of this year’s judges and the executive director at Advance Music Canada. “I remember discovering her online then seeing her perform on her first stage and the energy she brought was riveting. Fans were singing along, and people who had never heard of her were so energized by her performance.”
“As a jury, we are excited to see CBC and the Juno Allan Slaight Masterclass take this rockstar from Halifax to the nation,” she continued. “We know this opportunity to be a game changer for those who have won in the past, and believe Maggie will rise to the occasion and make her mark! Way to go Maggie Andrew!”
By winning Searchlight, Maggie Andrew will receive:
1. An Allan Slaight Juno Master Class experience
Andrew has earned a spot in Canada’s premier talent development program — the Allan Slaight Juno Master Class — for a week in Toronto, surrounded by the music industry’s best. It will all culminate in a live industry showcase.
2. A recording residency at the National Music Centre in Calgary
Andrew will spend five days in Calgary as the National Music Centre’s Artist in Residence presented by Partake Brewing, where she will be given access to more than 300 musical instruments, a recording studio and a recording engineer to create her next album.
3. A Yangaroo distribution deal
Andrew’s single or album will get a full promotional distribution campaign, including professional guidance, marketing and consultation from Yangaroo staff for the creation of the release. She will also be featured on the Yangaroo website and social media channels.
4. A gift certificate courtesy of Long & McQuade
Andrew will receive a $1,000 gift certificate from “Canada’s music store,” Long & McQuade, which can be used for instruments, equipment rentals, repairs and lessons.
Outstanding country artist: Amanda Jordan from Smiths Falls, Ont., with ‘You Don’t Wanna Know’
In last year’s Searchlight competition, Amanda Jordan made the top 10 and received an honourable mention in the outstanding country artist category — and now, she has won. Jordan is currently preparing to release her debut album, Still Standing, later this year.
Honourable mentions for outstanding country artist:
Top teen: Summer Bennett from Paradise, N.L., with ‘Just a Phase’
Sixteen-year-old Summer Bennett pens bright pop songs with an edge, and she is this year’s top teen winner, a category presented by MusiCounts. Bennett’s song “Just a Phase” has more than 60,000 streams on Spotify.
Honourable mentions for top teen:
Outstanding Indigenous artist: DeeDee Austin from Fall River, N.S., with ‘Tell Me (Why Am I So Different)’
DeeDee Austin’s pop songs are a blend of contemporary and traditional Indigenous music, and she is this year’s outstanding Indigenous artist winner, a category presented by the Indigenous Music Office. She was recently a performer at the 2024 Road to the Junos series, and was also nominated for dance recording of the year and fan’s choice video of the year at the 2024 East Coast Music Awards.
Honourable mentions for outstanding Indigenous artist:
Songwriting prize: Nobro from Montreal with ‘Where My Girls At’
Punk-rockers Nobro are the winners of this year’s songwriting prize, presented by SOCAN. The group roared into Searchlight’s top 10 this year with the fiery track “Where My Girls At,” a punchy track about starting a band with friends. Their album, Set Your Pussy Free, is shortlisted for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize.
Honourable mentions for the songwriting prize: