| 2021 Polaris Music Prize | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 27, 2021 |
| Country | Canada |
| Hosted by | Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe |
| Winner | Cadence Weapon, Parallel World |
| Website | polarismusicprize |
The 2021 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 27, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the award was presented in a livestreamed virtual event hosted by Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe of CBC Music. [1]
The longlist was announced on June 16, 2021, [2] with the shortlist following on July 15, 2021. [3]
Cadence Weapon, Parallel World [4] Nominees for the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, an award to honour classic Canadian albums released before the creation of the Polaris Prize, were announced after the main Polaris Prize ceremony. The winners were announced on October 26. [5]
Jury: Faith Nolan, Africville Public: Nomeansno, Wrong 
The Weather Station is a Canadian folk music band fronted by Tamara Lindeman, formed in 2006. The band membership has changed over the years, and as of 2022 includes Lindeman, Ben Whiteley (bass), Johnny Spence (keyboards), Will Kidman (guitar), Christine Bougie (guitar), Karen Ng, Evan Cartwright (drums), and Kieran Adams (drums).
Klô Pelgag is the stage name of Chloé Pelletier-Gagnon, a Canadian singer-songwriter from Quebec.
Julien Sagot is a Canadian musician. Formerly a percussionist for the indie rock band Karkwa from 1998 to 2012, since that band's breakup he has released four albums as a solo singer-songwriter.
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a Mississauga Nishnaabeg writer, musician, and academic from Canada. She is also known for her work with Idle No More protests. Simpson is a faculty member at the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning. She lives in Peterborough.
The 2017 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 18, 2017.
The 2019 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 16, 2019. Haviah Mighty won the $50,000 dollar prize for her debut album 13th Floor, becoming the first Black woman and first hip hop artist to win the prize.
Dominique Fils-Aimé is a Canadian singer from Quebec, whose album Stay Tuned! was shortlisted for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize and won the Juno Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2020.
Oluwatobi Feyisara Ajibolade, known professionally as Tobi , is a Nigerian born Canadian singer and rapper signed to RCA Records and Same Plate Entertainment. He released his debut studio album Still in May 2019, his second album Elements Vol. 1 in 2020, and his third album PANIC in 2023.
The following musical events and releases that happened in 2020 in Canada.
Mustafa Ahmed, known as Mustafa, formerly known as Mustafa the Poet, is a Sudanese-Canadian poet, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker from Toronto. He released his debut studio album, When Smoke Rises, in May 2021.
Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Klô Pelgag, released on June 26, 2020. The album received critical acclaim upon its release.
The following musical events and releases that happened in 2021 in Canada.
Ignorance is the fifth studio album by Canadian band the Weather Station. It was released worldwide on February 5, 2021 through Fat Possum Records in the United States, and a small part through Next Door Records in Canada. The album's lead single "Robber" was released on October 14, 2020.
Savannah Ré Simpson, simply known as Savannah Ré, is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter from Scarborough, Ontario, whose debut EP Opia was released in 2020.
Phoenix is the debut album by Canadian pop singer Charlotte Cardin, released on April 23, 2021, through Cult Nation.
When Smoke Rises is the debut studio album by Canadian musician and poet Mustafa. It was released on May 28, 2021, through Mustafa's Regent Park Songs imprint. The album was produced by frequent collaborator and executive producer Frank Dukes with contributions from James Blake, Jamie xx, and Sampha, among others. The songs "Stay Alive", "Air Forces", "Ali", and "The Hearse" were released as singles prior to the album's release. The album is self-described as 'inner city folk music' and is thematically centered on Toronto's Regent Park community.
DijahSB is a rapper based in Toronto, Ontario. They released their debut album 2020 the Album in 2020, followed by their second album Head Above the Waters in 2021.
The OBGMs (The oOohh Baby Gimme Mores) are a Canadian punk rock band from Toronto, Ontario. They are most noted for their 2020 album The Ends, which was a shortlisted finalist for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.
Zoon is a Canadian shoegaze band from Hamilton, Ontario, whose core member is Anishinaabe musician Daniel Monkman. They are most noted for their 2020 album Bleached Wavves, which was a shortlisted finalist for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.
Bleached Wavves is the debut studio album by Ojibwe shoegaze musician Daniel Monkman, known by the stage name Zoon. The album was released on June 19, 2020, via Paper Bag Records. Monkman was raised in the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation and faced many struggles growing up, such as poverty and addiction. They discovered shoegaze music as a teenager, and started a band after moving to Hamilton, Ontario. The album has been described as shoegaze and "moccasin-gaze". It has received positive reviews from AllMusic, Exclaim!, and No Ripcord. It was also shortlisted for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.