Loverboy will be represented in the hall by the band’s chief songwriters, singer Mike Reno and guitarist Paul Dean.AJ Roccaforte/Supplied
One, two, three, four: The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame will count the Tragically Hip, Roch Voisine, the songwriters of Loverboy and 1234 singer Leslie Feist as new members when the 2026 class is inducted this fall.
The announcement was made days after it was revealed that Feist and the Tragically Hip’s Paul Langlois would be among the headliners of TOgether, a free, all-day concert and wellness festival on June 6, at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square. Other performers at the event in benefit of Toronto’s University Health Network and Michael Garron Hospital are Alessia Cara and Broken Social Scene.
Feist is a four-time Grammy nominee and 12-time Juno Award winner .Norman Wong/Supplied
Feist is a four-time Grammy nominee and 12-time Juno Award winner born in Amherst, N.S., and raised in Calgary. The indie rocker first came into prominence upon the release of the album Let It Die and the single Mushaboom in 2004. Her fame skyrocketed when the catchy song 1234, co-written with Australia’s Sally Seltmann, became an international hit in 2007 after its use in an iPod nano commercial.
“Writing songs is a way to locate myself in my own private speed of time,” Feist said in a statement. “I’ve grown increasingly grateful for this ongoing conversation, mostly made of listening and attuning and preparing. I feel like a beginner every time I begin again, and am surprised and grateful for this recognition.”
The news of the Tragically Hip’s induction coincides with It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken, a new musical set to the retired rock band’s material. The production, currently in previews at Hamilton’s Theatre Aquarius, opens Friday.
Formed in 1984 and led by the late singer-lyricist Gord Downie, the Hip was at the forefront of a movement that saw Canadian rock bands beginning to write original songs about their country. The Kingston-bred group, which shared songwriting credits and 16 Juno Awards (plus membership in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame), consisted of Downie, Langlois, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay.
The Tragically Hip were formed in 1984 and led by the late singer-lyricist Gord Downie.Gordon Hawkins/Supplied
In 2002, The Globe and Mail named the band’s thoughtful ballad Ahead by a Century the ninth greatest Canadian pop song of all-time. A reimagined version of the tune by City and Colour, Ruby Waters and producer Boi-1da was released last week as part of the forthcoming album What If It All Goes Right?, put together by Canada Soccer’s national music ambassador program Perfect Pitch.
Roch Voisine was the first Canadian artist to achieve a No. 1 record in France.Genevieve Charbonneau/Supplied
The bilingual Voisine was born in New Brunswick and moved to Quebec as an adolescent. He won the Juno Award for Male Vocalist of the Year in 1994 for the album I’ll Always Be There and the single of the same name. He was the first Canadian artist to achieve a No. 1 record in France, with Hélène reaching the top of the charts in 1989 and launching a wave of international success for the singer-songwriter. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1997.
“I have always considered myself as a songwriter first,” Voisine said in a statement. “But I was very fortunate that the public gave me the chance to sing my songs.”
Calgary arena rockers Loverboy will be represented in the hall by the band’s chief songwriters, singer Mike Reno and guitarist Paul Dean. In the 1980s, they penned such party-starting international hits as Turn Me Loose and Working for the Weekend (with drummer Matt Frenette).
The single The Kid is Hot Tonite, from the band’s 1980 self-titled debut album, is believed to be a reference to Bryan Adams, who was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022.
This year’s induction ceremony takes place Sept. 26, at Toronto’s Massey Hall.