TORONTO — Alannah Myles' husky Black Velvet and Lover of Mine were among seven oldies added Monday to the list of Canadian classics while a new generation of singers, headed by Avril Lavigne, were recognized for receiving the most radio play last year.

Myles' songs reached the 100,000 airplay mark in 2003 as did Amanda Marshall's Birmingham, Bryan Adams' Run To You and Somebody, Glass Tiger's My Song and Heart's What About Love.

"It's been a while," Myles told the audience at the Socan award reception where 400 of the country's songwriting elite, gathered for a gala dinner.

"I wrote it for my cat," Myles, looking every bit the rock star in a brown top made of fur and feathers, said of Lover of Mine.

"Brooklyn, thanks."

Run To You was originally disregarded by many, said Jim Vallance, who co-wrote four of the honoured classics.

"Run To You is a song that nobody wanted," said the famed songwriter, born in Chilliwack, B.C., who has penned more than 500 songs. "A dozen artists turned it down and I think eventually, out of frustration, Bryan recorded it himself."

Lavigne's I'm With You and Chantal Kreviazuk's Time received pop music awards at the non-televised event, now in its 15th year of celebrating the writers behind the country's biggest hits.

"I'm privileged to be a songwriter and have a career at it. I still can't believe it," said Winnipeg-born Kreviazuk, who accepted the glass trophy with her husband Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace, a co-writer on the song.

Lavigne didn't attend the soiree, where guests dined on chicken stuffed with wild mushrooms and chocolate cake.

The event was largely a chance for songwriters to pat each other on the back and thank the organization which collects royalties on their behalf.

At a press conference prior to the dinner, urban singer Shawn Desman and country's Deric Ruttan said they'd be lost without the cheques from Socan.

When a question was asked concerning how artists are coping with reduced income because of the effects of digital music, vice-chair Pierre-Daniel Rheault cut in saying the panel wasn't there to discuss the "sensitive issue." Instead, he steered the conversation towards the $200 million distributed to Socan's 22,000 members last year.

But in his opening remarks Socan president Earl Rosen admitted the "industry is in a very fragile state" and urged the federal government to renew funding for the Canadian Music Fund, which expires next March, and change copyright laws to account for technological advances.

"The music industry will lose much of the momentum which has propelled it the past few years," he said.

Hosted by singer Lawrence Gowan, the reception also feted an absent Joni Mitchell who received yet another award for Big Yellow Taxi. The song, first released in 1970, was kept alive on Canadian radio this past year thanks to a cover by the American band The Counting Crows.

Aaron Lines' Living Out Loud, Brad Johner's Free and Dierks Bentley's What Was I Thinkin', co-written by Ruttan, were the most heard country songs, according to Socan.

The most heard rock track was, Why Don't You and I, a duet between Santana and Chad Kroeger, composed by Kroeger.

His band Nickelback received the international achievement award, one of two new awards added this year.

Toronto composer John Weinzweig was given the novel lifetime achievement award. The 91-year-old's most recognizable work is the Divertimenti series for flute, strings and harp.

Kim Mitchell was given the national achievement award for a career that began in the 1970s as frontman for rock group Max Webster. The singer, born in Sarnia, Ont., is best known for songs Patio Lanterns and Easy To Tame.

Desman got the urban music nod for writing Get Ready. Great Big Sea was recognized for Clearest Indication. Fiddler Donnell Leahy of the family collective Leahy earned the instrumental music award.

A separate Socan ceremony will be held next week in Montreal for francophone music creators with Jean Leloup, Luc Plamondon and the Respectables.