TORONTO – Vancouver dance-rock duo Dear Rouge has won the $10,000 English-language SOCAN Songwriting Prize for their propulsive single “I Heard I Had.”

Married pair Andrew McTaggart and Danielle McTaggart will also receive studio time, vocal coaching and a prize package from Long & McQuade.

Other nominees for the award, issued by the Canadian music rights organization, included “Archie, Marry Me” by Toronto’s Alvvays, dance smash “Hideaway” by Kiesza and Cold Specks’ “Old Knives.”

The annual competition nominates 10 English songs written by emerging Canadian songwriters.

The French prize — the Prix de la chanson SOCAN — went to Antoine Corriveau for “Le nouveau vocabulaire.”

Previous winners of the English and French SOCAN awards include Alejandra Ribera, Patrice Michaud and Mo Kenney.

“Being honoured and recognized for songwriter craftsmanship is probably the greatest respect and appreciation a musician can receive,” Danielle McTaggart said in a release.

“We’re awestruck by every one of the nine other nominated songs, each of which could have been a worthy winner.”