Drake Lands Fifth Consecutive SOCAN Songwriter Honor

Five consecutive wins have turned one of Canada’s top songwriting honors into familiar territory for Drake. The Toronto rapper will receive SOCAN’s Songwriter of the Year award in the performer category for the fifth straight year at the organization's annual ceremony later this month.

The honor recognizes what SOCAN described as Drake’s “unmatched influence on music worldwide,” according to Billboard Canada. He won the same award last year, when his night became considerably bigger than a single trophy. Drake collected six SOCAN awards in 2025, becoming the most-awarded songwriter in the organization’s 100-year history.

His latest win arrives after another commercially dominant year at home. May’s Iceman release and its companion projects pushed Drake to new Canadian chart records, while “Janice STFU” became his record-setting 14th No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. This week, Habibti also returned to No. 1 following its deluxe edition, extending his Canadian albums record to 17 chart-toppers.

The songwriter honor also comes at a time when Drake’s relationship with awards institutions looks very different depending on the room. His music remains deeply embedded in SOCAN’s recognition of Canadian songwriting, but he reportedly declined to submit Iceman or the rest of his eligible solo material for the 2027 Grammys.

That decision continues a pattern dating back several years. Drake has not submitted a solo album for Grammy consideration since withdrawing Certified Lover Boy and “Way 2 Sexy” from the 2022 awards. His absence from that process has not stopped other organizations from rewarding the same period of work, particularly in Canada. Moreover, this year’s SOCAN ceremony will also recognize Jessie Reyez with the International Achievement Award. The organization cited her global reach and more than four billion streams, while Maestro Fresh Wes will share the Cultural Impact Award for “Let Your Backbone Slide.”

The awards will be presented Oct. 26 at REBEL in Toronto. Drake did not attend last year’s ceremony despite his record-setting haul, and SOCAN has not announced whether he will be in the room to collect No. 5.