Folk artist and activist Bruce Cockburn, classic rockers Trooper and electronic music superstar deadmau5 will have their accomplishments feted tonight in Toronto at the SOCAN Music Awards gala.

The star-studded evening at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall is a chance for the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada to celebrate the best the Canadian music scene has to offer.

Cockburn, who has had a 35-year career that produced hits such as Wonderin’ Where the Lions Are and If I Had a Rocket Launcher, will be presented with the SOCAN Lifetime Achievement Award.

Musician Bruce Cockburn gets the lifetime achievement award after 35 years as a singer-songwriter. (Canadian Press)

A Canadian Music Hall of Fame member and 12-time Juno award-winner, Cockburn will be serenaded by Serena Ryder as part of the ceremony.

Ra McGuire and Brian Smith, who were original members of the band Trooper formed in Vancouver in 1975, will each receive the SOCAN National Achievement Award for their songwriting.

Trooper also gets three SOCAN Classic Awards – given for songs that get 100,000 plays on domestic radio — for its rock anthems Raise a Little Hell, General Hand Grenade and Janine.

In addition to Trooper’s songs, three songs by Ontario rockers April Wine will be honoured as SOCAN classics – Say Hello, Oowatanite and Sign of the Gypsy Queen.

Deadmau5 at Grammys

Chart-topping electronic musician deadmau5 – real name Joel Zimmerman – is being recognized with a SOCAN International Achievement Award for his growing international stature.

The 31-year-old Toronto-based artist had a high-profile gig at the 2012 Grammy Awards in February and landed the cover of the summer issue of Rolling Stone magazine, as well as gathering an international following. He will not attend the SOCAN gala.

The SOCAN Awards Gala also recognizes the accomplishments of Canadian songwriters in pop/rock, dance, urban, country, jazz, folk, TV and film categories.

Songs to be honoured

Dean Brody, Alyssa Reid, Hedley's Jacob Hoggard, Fefe Dobson, Mychael Danna and Bob Ezrin are among the artists expected to attend to accept their awards.

Alex Cuba is to be honoured with the Hagood Hardy award for his contribution to jazz and David Myles will receive the Folk-roots Music Award.

Among the songs that are winners of SOCAN Awards:

• Lost in You, Three Day’s Grace.
• Alone Again, Alyssa Reid.
• Hollywood, performed by Michael Buble (Robert Grant Scott).
• Can’t Breathe and Stuttering, by Fefe Dobson.
• People Know You by Your First Name and Trail in Life, by Dean Brody.
• Barefoot Blue Jean Night, by Jake Owen (Terry Sawchuk).
• She’s Good for Me, by Jason McCoy.
• Let’s Go Higher, by Johnny Reid.
• Electric, by Shawn Desman.
• Let’s Play, by Kristina Maria.
• Invincible, by Hedley.
• The Lazy Song, by k’naan.
• Hello, by Martin Solveig and Dragonette.
• Like Magic, by JRDN.
• Till Debt Do Us Part, (TV series), by Olaf Pyttlik and Clinton Skibitzky.
• Busytown Mysteries (TV series music), by Peter Coulman, Carl Lenox, David Tedesco.
• Hawaii Five-O, by Keith Power.
• Canada AM, by Robert Rettberg.
• The Stepson, (film music) by David Burns.