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The Tragically Hip, Feist, Loverboy's Mike Reno and Paul Dean, and Roch Voisine were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame at Massey Hall in Toronto on Sept. 26, 2026, with tributes to the late Gord Downie.
The Tragically Hip, Feist, Loverboy songwriters Mike Reno and Paul Dean, and French-Canadian artist Roch Voisine were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame at a star-studded gala at Toronto's Massey Hall on Saturday night, Sept. 26, 2026.
Tragically Hip Honor Late Frontman Gord Downie
The memory of the late Gord Downie was in sharp focus throughout the evening. Downie died in 2017 after he was diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of brain cancer. As members of The Tragically Hip took the stage to accept the honour, the band paid tribute to their bandmate. Guitarist Rob Baker shared a message he said was from Downie, who could not be there.
I stood before the songwriters' cabal, bearing gifts of drugs and alcohol. That's not enough, and that's not all. Wait over there until your numbers called. I stood before the songwriters' cabal, all wide-eyed and enthralled, just to be included at all, Baker said, standing alongside bandmates Gord Sinclair and Paul Langlois.
Baker said in his speech that the band had been thrilled to have such a great frontman. He recalled taking bassist Gord Sinclair down to see Downie at a place in Kingston, saying, You've got to see this guy, we're going to stand on his coattails and ride them. Baker also noted The Hip's practice of sharing songwriting credit among all the band members. The Hip entered the 2026 class alongside Feist, Loverboy's Reno and Dean, and Voisine.
The inductees' beloved songs provided the soundtrack for the evening, which had the crowd tapping their feet, clapping their hands and dancing in their seats. Performers included Finneas, Our Lady Peace, and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, among others who took the stage for genre-spanning tributes covering arena rock, indie pop and love ballads. As the tribute to The Hip closed out the night's ceremonies, a purple feathered hat hung on a microphone stand on stage, a nod to Downie's eclectic fashion.
Finneas Inducts Feist Into Hall Of Fame
Allison Russell, who was among the artists performing The Hip's music, blew a kiss to the mic stand as she began Wheat Kings, then ended the song by saying, We will always love you, Gord. Earlier in the evening, Los Angeles songwriter and producer Finneas inducted Leslie Feist.
The brother of Billie Eilish told a charming story about a chance meeting with the Toronto singer-songwriter at an airport in 2018 before calling her an incredibly important, inspiring figure in my life, said Finneas, who later performed her 2007 song My Moon My Man. As she accepted her accolade on stage, Feist told the crowd, talking is harder than singing for me, before launching into a speech that detailed how the 50-year-old musician used songs to process the ebbs and flows of her life.
If all of the messy and meaningful and honest work can eventually lead anyone to a moment like this, then that's how I figured out how to stand here and genuinely from my heart say thank you, said Feist. She received video messages from notable figures such as Sam Smith, Joe Jonas, Olivia Rodrigo and director Jacob Tierney, whose hit TV show Heated Rivalry featured two Feist songs.
Among the evening's many captivating performances was Tweedy, who host George Stroumboulopoulos introduced as one of the best living songwriters. The Wilco frontman sang a heartfelt cover of Feist's mournful song The Park. Earlier, Canadian songstress Amanda Marshall opened the show with a booming rendition of Loverboy's 1980 hit Turn Me Loose that had the audience up from their seats immediately.
Toronto folk singer Charlotte Cornfield followed with a smooth and soulful performance of Feist's How Come You Never Go There. Later, the Ottawa-based musician Talk, wearing a fitted baby blue jumpsuit with fringed sleeves, rocked the venue with a high-energy cover of Loverboy's classic hit Working for the Weekend, earning him a standing ovation. The night also included notes of Canadian pride.
Loverboy Songwriters Reno And Dean Honored
Jim Vallance, inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside songwriting partner Bryan Adams in 2022, began his tribute to Loverboy by saying he was so proud to be Canadian and pointed out that the nation punched above its weight in producing great musicians. Dean, Loverboy's guitarist, accepted the honour on behalf of himself and lead singer Reno, who could not attend.
Dean also thanked the other members of the band, including former bassist Scott Smith, who died in 2000 following a boating accident. Other highlights included Olympic hockey gold medallists Laura Stacey and Marie Philip-Poulin, who inducted Voisine and noted the 63-year-old's time playing hockey before he took up music. Voisine said in his speech he started writing songs only for himself.
But while studying at the University of Ottawa, he'd practice his songs in his residence's stairwell and later learned fellow students would study along with his music. Following his bilingual speech, in which he thanked his family and songwriting collaborators, Voisine performed an emotional, choir-backed duet of his ballad I'll Always Be There with French-Canadian artist Isabelle Boulay.
Beloved Canadian alt-rock band Our Lady Peace closed out the show with a high-octane cover of The Hip's Locked in the Trunk of a Car. Lead singer Raine Maida shared how watching a performance by The Tragically Hip when he was 18 inspired him to chase art over entertainment. Before beginning the song, he told the crowd to get on their feet. And light your phones up for Mr. Gord Downie.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2026. Kaitlyn McGrath, The Canadian Press.
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CP24:‘Wide-eyed and enthralled’: The Tragically Hip, Feist enter Canadian Songwriters Hall of FameThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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