Montreal group Marie Céleste wins Songwriting Discovery Prize with $7,500 and career support
The Lake Saint-Jean-formed quintet from secondary school was honoured by the Canadian Songwriting Pantheon with a prize presented by TikTok.
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Montreal-based group Marie Céleste won the Canadian Songwriting Pantheon's (PACC) Discovery in Songwriting Prize on Tuesday, July 7, earning $7,500 and career development support.
The quintet, formed by five friends from secondary school in Lac-Saint-Jean, released its debut album Tout ce qui brille in March 2026, which has accumulated 2.6 million streams on Spotify. The group's earlier minialbum Feux de joie, released in 2024, has also gained significant traction. Marie Céleste is in nomination for Radio-Canada Revelations 2026-2027.
"Être reconnu à l'échelle nationale avec des chansons en français nous procure une immense fierté," the group said in a statement. "On tient à faire rayonner la culture québécoise à travers le Canada et ce prix est une énorme tape dans le dos de toute l'industrie!"
Marie Céleste was selected among several francophone finalists including Benjamin Nadeau, Benny Adam, Grand Eugène, and Marco Ema. Toronto-based producer ZALE won the non-francophone category. ZALE, an award-winning songwriter and producer who has collaborated with Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, and PARTYNEXTDOOR, has generated hundreds of millions of streams worldwide and recently worked on tracks for The Beaches, Nelly Furtado, and Jessie Reyez.
The annual Discovery in Songwriting Prize, presented by TikTok, rewards emerging Canadian talent shaping the future of songwriting. Past winners include Ariane Roy, Fredz, Lou-Adriane Cassidy, and Charlotte Cardin. Marie Céleste and ZALE will be honoured at the 2026 Canadian Songwriting Pantheon Induction Ceremony on September 26 in Toronto, where The Tragically Hip, Mike Reno and Paul Dean of Loverboy, Feist, and Roch Voisine will also be celebrated.
