The ECHO Songwriting Prize competition is run by SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada). This annual competition recognizes the best in Canadian independent music.

Here’s how it works. Songwriters or their representatives do not actually submit songs for consideration. Instead, two independent panels consisting of Canadian music scene experts nominate songs they believe represent the most creative and artistic songs by independent songwriters in Canada over the past year. One panel nominates English songs and the other panel nominates French songs. All genres of music are considered.

Using a point-based ranking system, each panel shortlists five songs as finalists. The shortlists are then announced here and public voting takes place for 30 days. All eligible voters are entered into a draw for a prize. Once the voting period ends and the votes are tallied, a $5,000 prize is awarded to the winning English and French songwriters.