Henry Lees

Semi-Finalist - 23rd International Songwriting Competition (2025)

Semi-Finalist - Unsigned Only Music Awards (2025)

Semi-Finalist - 22nd Internaitonal Songwriting Competition (2024)

Double Semi-Finalist - Unsigned Only Music Awards (2024)

Double Semi-Finalist - 21st International Songwriting Competition (2023)

Semi-Finalist - Unsigned Only Music Awards (2023)

Semi-Finalist - 20th International Songwriting Competition (2022)

Top 10 Finalist - 27th USA Songwriting Competition (2022)

Top 10 Finalist - 17th International Acoustic Music Awards (2021)

2nd Place, Americana Category - Spring Indie International Songwriting Contest (2021)

Following the music muse is a lifelong love and pursuit for BC born and raised singer, songwriter and percussionist Henry Lees and the relationship is becoming fruitful.

Since 2021, Henry has been garnering industry recognition for his songwriting and is starting to turn heads with his single releases, including his latest “Into Your Orbit”, which was named as a Semi-Finalist in the Adult Album Alternative category for the annual International Songwriting Competition in 2025. “Into Your Orbit” is a first time collaboration with notable Icelandic composer/producer Frosti Jónsson, whose evocative compositions can be heard in many productions including Netflix’s Temptation Island, a variety of HGTV home renovation series, and true crime series featured on Peacock, Amazon Prime, Tubi and on his own solo releases as Bistro Boy. 

“Into Your Orbit” is also a selected addition to the exclusive library of L.A.-based Imaginary Friends Music Partners, an agency that has placed music in popular programs such as The Young and The Restless, Shameless and America’s Funniest Home Videos.

Henry’s prior single release, “Smoke”, was honoured by the 2025 Unsigned Only Music Awards as a Semi-Finalist in the Adult Contemporary category. “Smoke” is a collaboration with Vancouver-based, rising star singer-songwriter and producer Sean Thomas (Debbie Gibson, Joey McIntyre, NKOTB, New Edition) and marks the fourth time Henry and Sean have created music together.

Henry’s most recent honour from the Unsigned Only Music Awards is the eleventh time his music has been recognized by international song competitions over the past five years. 

Previously, “Free This Love”, a joyful jam released on Global Love Day celebrating unconditional love, was chosen as a Top 10 Finalist for the 2022 USA Songwriting Competition and as a Semi-Finalist for the 2022 International Songwriting Competition. Henry also took Top 10 Finalist honours for the 2021 International Acoustic Music Awards and scored a second place finish for the Spring 2021 Indie International Songwriting Contest. 

Another major highlight on Henry's music journey so far includes co-writing six songs for Canadian Blues Artist and Triple Maple Blues Awards nominee Chris Antonik's 2022 album "Morningstar", which spent 2 weeks at #1 on Roots Music Report's all genre, Top Canadian Albums chart and spawned three #1 RMR singles including “Back to the Good”, one of those co-writes. 

In 2022, Henry released the powerful and very personal "Walking With Fear", co-written with multi-award winning artist David Leask. David and Henry co-produced the track with multi-JUNO winner Steve Dawson and The Henhouse Express, with recording taking place in three cities – Nashville, Toronto and Vancouver. An anthem of support and understanding for everyone living with anxiety disorders, “Walking With Fear” was released in partnership with Anxiety Canada to help spotlight Action Anxiety Day across Canada. 

In 2019, Henry released his debut solo single, “Willing Heart”, a collaboration with superb Toronto singer/songwriter/pianist Heather Hill.

Childhood family singalongs around the upright and drumming and singing in high school bands led to belting out radio/TV jingles and singing live on stages across Canada by his twenties. Henry toured nationally as a background vocalist with singer/songwriter, actor, humanitarian and Officer of the Order of Canada Tom Jackson on his Huron Carole benefit concert series, sharing concert stages with wonderful artists such as Charlie Major, Melanie Doane, Colin James, Natalie MacMaster, The Rankins, Prairie Oyster, Shari Ulrich, Bruce Guthro and more.

Now immersed in the vibrant, diverse and inspiring music community in Toronto, Henry is continuing to court that music muse in earnest. He's diving head first into crafting songs that deeply connect, collaborating and performing with, in addition to the ones noted above, Canadian artists such as David Storey, Shannon Gaye, Kristian Alexandrov, Evelynne Ross, Sue and Dwight, The Prince Brothers, Kevin Zarnett and Lawrie Ingles, Henry’s partner in the dynamic soul-pop duo The Soul Maitre D's.

Image: John Shisko Photography