The Cowboys Fringants continue to rack up the honours. On Wednesday evening, they were awarded ‘Patriot of the Year’ by the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal, for 2023.
In a press release, the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal explained that it had chosen to nominate the group ‘Patriot of the Year’ to recognize and honour their ‘exceptional’ contribution to Quebec’s cultural scene.
In its opinion, “the members of Cowboys Fringants have become true cultural ambassadors on stages both here and abroad.”
Marie-Annick Lépine, Jean-François Pauzé and Jérôme Dupras accepted the award at a ceremony held at the Maison Ludger-Duvernay, while the group’s lead singer, Karl Tremblay, was honoured posthumously.
Since 1975, the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal has awarded the title of ‘Patriot of the Year’ each year to a person who has distinguished themselves in “advancing the national interest and the democratic struggles of people.”
Jacques Parizeau, Bernard Landry, Camille Laurin, Julie Snyder and Hélène Pednault have all received this honour. In 2022, the title was awarded to former Parti Québécois MNA Véronique Hivon.
Since the death of Karl Tremblay last November, Les Cowboys Fringants have received love and honours from many.
At the most recent Juno Awards gala, the group’s album recorded with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra was named best French-language album. Its members will also be inducted into the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec at a ceremony on June 10.
The album ‘Pub Royal,’ which was recorded in the last months of Tremblay’s life and completed after his death, was released to public acclaim at the end of April.
On Monday, the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal will once again pay tribute to the Cowboys Fringants during its National Patriots’ Day march, playing their songs along the way.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews