Polaris Music Prize

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Polaris Music Prize
Current: 2025 Polaris Music Prize
Polaris Music Prize logo.png
Awarded forBest full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit regardless of genre, sales, or record label
CountryCanada
First award2006
Website polarismusicprize.ca

The Polaris Music Prize is an annual music award given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. [1] The award was established in 2006 with a $20,000 cash prize, [2] which was increased to $30,000 in 2011. [3] The prize was increased to $50,000 in May 2015 by Slaight Music. Second-place prizes for the nine other acts on the shortlist also increased from $2,000 to $3,000. Polaris officials announced the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, an award that "will annually honour five albums from the five decades before Polaris launched in 2006." [4]

Contents

The prize, modeled on the United Kingdom and Ireland's Mercury Prize, [5] inspired the Atlantis and Borealis Music Prizes for Newfoundland and Labrador. [6]

The Polaris committee and SOCAN announced the creation of the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize, honouring individual songs in addition to the albums award, in 2025. It replaced the SOCAN Songwriting Prize. [7]

Jury and selection

There is no submission process or entry fee for the prize, [1] and jurors select what they consider the five best Canadian albums released in the previous year. Ballots are tabulated with each number-one pick awarded five points and a number-two pick awarded four points. A list of 40 titles is released in mid-June and sent back to the jury, which re-submits five top picks. [1]

Ballots are re-tabulated and the top ten titles are the Polaris short list, which is released in early July. [1] A group of 11 jurors (the "Grand Jury") meets in Toronto in late September to choose the winner. The nominated artists (or bands) perform, and the winner is announced by the previous year's winner. [2] Each shortlisted album has one grand juror to advocate for it; ten jurors are selected for naming a shortlisted album as their top pick in the balloting, and the remaining juror did not vote for any shortlisted albums. [8]

The Polaris Music Prize board of directors selects the jurors [1] from a list of over 200 Canadian music journalists, bloggers, and broadcasters. No one with a direct financial relationship with an artist can be a jury member. [1] Enlisting music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers as judges attracts attention to good music in a cluttered commercial landscape and a fractured music scene. [9] [10] Former CBC Q host and first Polaris Gala host Jian Ghomeshi was quietly removed from the juror pool on November 3, 2014. [11]

Winners and shortlists

YearWinnerShortlisted nominees and albumsRef.
2006 Final Fantasy – He Poos Clouds [12]
2007 Patrick Watson – Close to Paradise [13]
2008 Caribou – Andorra [14]
2009 Fucked Up – The Chemistry of Common Life [15]
2010 Karkwa – Les Chemins de verre [16]
2011 Arcade Fire – The Suburbs [17]
2012 Feist – Metals [18]
2013 Godspeed You! Black Emperor – 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! [19]
2014 Tanya Tagaq – Animism [20]
2015 Buffy Sainte-Marie – Power in the Blood (rescinded in 2025 [21] ) [22]
2016 Kaytranada – 99.9% [23]
2017 Lido Pimienta – La Papessa [24]
2018 Jeremy Dutcher – Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa [25]
2019 Haviah Mighty – 13th Floor [26]
2020 Backxwash – God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It [27]
2021 Cadence Weapon – Parallel World [28]
2022 Pierre Kwenders – José Louis and the Paradox of Love Shortlist announced in July. [29] [30] [31]
2023 Debby Friday – Good Luck [32]
2024 Jeremy Dutcher – Motewolonuwok [33]
2025 Yves Jarvis – All Cylinders [34]

Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize

The Polaris jury introduced the Polaris Heritage Prize (later known as the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize), [35] an annual award program to honour classic Canadian albums released before the creation of the Polaris Prize, in 2015. [36]

Heritage Prizes, selected by public vote from a shortlist of five nominees by a Heritage Prize jury, were awarded in their first year in the 1960s–1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000–2005 categories. In the second year, the shortlists were increased to 10, the categories shifted to 1960–75, 1976–85, 1986–1995 and 1996–2005, and a second prize was awarded by a jury with the winner of the public vote. [37] The jury award ensures that albums which were artistically important but not necessarily commercially popular have a fair chance of winning; the jury does not meet to make its choice until after the popular-vote winner has been determined. [37]

Winners
YearWinnerCategory
2015 Joni Mitchell – Blue 1960-70s
Cowboy Junkies – The Trinity Session 1980s
Sloan – Twice Removed 1990s
Peaches – The Teaches of Peaches 2000–2005
2016 Neil Young – After the Gold Rush 1960–1975 (public vote)
Leonard Cohen – Songs of Leonard Cohen 1960–1975 (jury vote)
Rush – Moving Pictures 1976–1985 (public vote)
Kate & Anna McGarrigle – Kate & Anna McGarrigle 1976–1985 (jury vote)
Blue Rodeo – Five Days in July 1986–1995 (public vote)
Mary Margaret O'Hara – Miss America 1986–1995 (jury vote)
Arcade Fire – Funeral 1996–2005 (public vote)
Lhasa de Sela – La Llorona 1996–2005 (jury vote)
2017 Gordon Lightfoot – Lightfoot! 1960–1975 (public vote)
The Band – The Band 1960–1975 (jury vote)
Harmonium – L'Heptade 1976–1985 (public vote)
Glenn Gould – The Goldberg Variations 1976–1985 (jury vote)
The Tragically Hip – Fully Completely 1986–1995 (public vote)
Eric's Trip – Love Tara 1986–1995 (jury vote)
Feist – Let It Die 1996–2005 (public vote)
k-os – Joyful Rebellion 1996–2005 (jury vote)
2018 Neil Young – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere 1960–1975 (public vote)
Jean-Pierre Ferland – Jaune 1960–1975 (jury vote)
Rush – 2112 1976–1985 (public vote)
Bruce Cockburn – Stealing Fire 1976–1985 (jury vote)
Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill 1986–1995 (public vote)
Dream Warriors – And Now the Legacy Begins 1986–1995 (jury vote)
Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It In People 1996–2005 (public vote)
Kid Koala – Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 1996–2005 (jury vote)
2019 D.O.A. – Hardcore 81 Public vote
Oscar Peterson Trio – Night Train Jury vote
2020 Beverly Glenn-Copeland – Keyboard Fantasies Public vote
Main Source – Breaking Atoms Jury vote (tie)
Buffy Sainte-Marie – It's My Way! (rescinded in 2025 [38] )
2021 Nomeansno – Wrong Public vote
Faith Nolan – AfricvilleJury vote
2022 SNFU – ...And No One Else Wanted to Play Public vote
Four the Moment – We're Still StandingJury vote
2023 Skinny Puppy – Bites Public vote
Maestro Fresh Wes – Symphony in Effect Jury vote
2024 Tegan and Sara – So Jealous Public vote
Jackie Mittoo – Macka FatJury vote
2025 The Organ – Grab That Gun Public vote
Jane Siberry – The Speckless Sky Jury vote

Ceremonies

The 2018 Polaris sponsors included the CBC, the Government of Canada, FACTOR, Ontario Media Development Corporation, Slaight Communications, Radio Starmaker Fund, SiriusXM, Stingray Music/Galaxie, The Carlu, Shure Canada, Toronto radio station Indie88, SOCAN, and Re-Sound20. [39] Past sponsors have included Rogers Communications [40] and Scion. [41] The ceremonies are video-streamed live on CBC Music. [42]

Controversies

The prize has been considered too "indie" or too "mainstream". [43] Polaris Salons, with jurors as panellists, are held in a number of cities before the ceremonies. [44]

PWhen Fucked Up won in 2009, mainstream media outlets were uncertain about how they would present the band's name. The Canoe.ca news service used the headline "F***** Up (language alert , language alert below) wins the 2009 Polaris Music Prize on Monday night"; [45] The Globe and Mail headline was "Toronto hardcore band wins Polaris Music Prize," [46] and The New Yorker 's was "The Prize That Dare Not Speak Its Name". [47] [48]

Godspeed You! Black Emperor refused to attend the 2013 Polaris ceremonies. When the band won for their album, Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!, representatives of their label (Constellation Records) accepted the prize on their behalf. Constellation's Don Wilkie said, "Godspeed will use the prize money to purchase musical instruments for, and support organizations providing music lessons to, people incarcerated within the Quebec prison system." [49] The next day, the band said that "holding a gala during a time of austerity and normalized decline is a weird thing to do" and "maybe the next celebration should happen in a cruddier hall, without the corporate banners and culture overlords." [50]

Tanya Tagaq said "Fuck PETA" in her 2014 victory speech, [51] using her performance and subsequent interviews as a platform to draw attention to missing and murdered Aboriginal women across Canada. [52] Lido Pimienta's 2017 acceptance speech ended with an obscenity-spiked outburst. "All of my fucking monitors were off," Pimienta shouted into the microphone at the end of the show, which was webcast by the CBC. She had performed two songs live: "I could not hear myself when I was up here. I'm fucking pissed off. Thank you though, motherfucker." [53]

After the 2023 revelation of questions about the Indigenous Canadian status of singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie, calls were made to revoke her main- and heritage-prize awards. [54] The committee rescinded the awards in 2025 after the revocation of her membership in the Order of Canada because she could no longer provide satisfactory proof of Canadian citizenship. [55]

Polaris Prize music releases

In 2006, compilation CD/souvenir program guides featuring one song each from every shortlisted artist were given out at the Polaris Gala. The same was done in 2007 with all shortlisted artists contributing to the compilation CD except Arcade Fire. Between 2008 and 2011, the souvenir program guides instead included download cards for recipients to obtain one song from each of the shortlisted artists.

Polaris began releasing promotional split seven-inch singles beginning in 2012 which were separate from the souvenir program guides. These singles were often given away through campaigns with independent record stores, via contests, at Polaris Salons, or at Polaris Galas.

In recent years, the Polaris Prize has also sponsored a series of promotional singles involving nominated or winning musicians. The "Polaris Cover Sessions" [56] series features past nominees recording a cover of a song by another nominee or Heritage Prize winner, while the "Polaris Collaboration Sessions" series features two past nominees collaborating on new original songs.

2012

Feist and Drake did not participate.

2013

Godspeed You! Black Emperor did not participate.

2014

Drake did not participate.

2015

Polaris Cover Sessions No. 1 (2015) [10 inch]

2016

Polaris Cover Sessions No. 2 (2016) [10 inch]

2017

Polaris Cover Sessions No. 3 (2017) [10 inch]

2018

Polaris Cover Sessions No. 4 (2018) [10 inch]

2019

Polaris Cover Sessions No. 5 (2019) [12 inch]

Polaris collaboration sessions

Polaris, the Banff Centre and Scion Sessions teamed up for a collaborative residency project featuring past shortlisted artists Shad and Holy Fuck. The result was the Scion Sessions-sponsored Holy Shad "Legend of Cy Borg Parts I and II" seven-inch single as well as a documentary video produced by AUX TV. [72]

In 2017, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Tanya Tagaq collaborated on the single "You Got to Run (Spirit of the Wind)". [73] A remix of the song by A Tribe Called Red was commissioned for the seven-inch release. The song was subsequently included on Sainte-Marie's album Medicine Songs .

In 2019, The Weather Station and Jennifer Castle came together to record a two-song split-single. The Weather Station's song was "I Tried To Wear The World (featuring Jennifer Castle)" and Castle's was "Midas Touch (featuring The Weather Station)." [74]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Frere-Jones, Shasha (September 22, 2009). "The Prize That Dare Not Speak Its Name". The New Yorker . Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  2. 1 2 Molotkow, Alexandra (October 1, 2010). "The Indie Rock Swindle". The Walrus . Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
  3. ↑ "2011 Polaris Music Prize Long List announced" Archived October 2, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . aux.tv, June 16, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Polaris Music Prize Increased To $50,000 In 2015 – Polaris Music Prize". May 9, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Polaris Music Prize: An Oral History as told by its founders, jurors, and winners". AUX.TV. Archived from the original on July 7, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  6. ↑ McLean, Steve (June 2, 2006). "The Polaris Music Prize Will Go To Canada's Best Album". Chart . Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  7. ↑ Howard Druckman, "Polaris Music Prize announces 2025 Long List". Words & Music , June 11, 2025.
  8. ↑ Here and Now , September 22, 2014.
  9. ↑ Finn, Brad (September 1, 2010). "Should it be called the Polaris 'Indie' Music Prize?". The Globe and Mail. Toronto.
  10. ↑ "Predicting Polaris: Picking Canada's Best Album". Archived from the original on August 29, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Polaris Music Prize removes Jian Ghomeshi from its jury". thestar.com. November 3, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Indie favourites among finalists for Polaris Music Prize". CBC News. July 4, 2010. Archived from the original on May 23, 2007. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
  13. ↑ "2007 Nominees – Polaris Music Prize Shortlist". polarismusicprize.ca. Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Rockers dominate Polaris prize short list". CBC News. July 7, 2008. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Ladies and Gentleman, the 2009 Short List" (Press release). Polaris Music Prize. July 7, 2009. Archived from the original on January 10, 2011. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
  16. ↑ "2010 Nominees Polaris Music Prize". polarismusicprize.ca. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Polaris Music Prize Rolls Out 2011 Short List". Exclaim! Magazine. July 6, 2011. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Polaris Music Prize 2012 Nominees". polarismusicprize.ca. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Polaris Music Prize 2013 Short List Is Here". Polaris Music Prize. July 16, 2013. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Polaris Prize Nominees 2014". polarismusicprize.ca. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  21. ↑ Assaly, Richie (March 7, 2025). "Buffy Sainte-Marie stripped of Polaris Music Prize, Juno Awards and Canadian Music Hall of Fame induction". Toronto Star. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Polaris Music Prize Nominees 2015". polarismusicprize.ca. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Polaris Music Prizde Nominees 2016". polarismusicprize.ca. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  24. ↑ "2019 Nominees - Polaris Music Prize". polarismusicprize.ca. Polaris Music Prize. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
  25. ↑ "2018 Nominees - Polaris Music Prize". polarismusicprize.ca. Polaris Music Prize. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
  26. ↑ "2019 Nominees - Polaris Music Prize". polarismusicprize.ca. Polaris Music Prize. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
  27. ↑ "2020 Nominees - Polaris Music Prize". polarismusicprize.ca. Polaris Music Prize. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Cadence Weapon wins Polaris Music Prize for Parallel World". The Globe and Mail , September 27, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Quebec comes in strong, Shad extends his history making record on Polaris short list | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  30. ↑ "2022 Short List". Polaris Music Prize. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  31. ↑ "2022 Nominees - Polaris Music Prize". polarismusicprize.ca. Polaris Music Prize. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
  32. ↑ "2023 Nominees - Polaris Music Prize". polarismusicprize.ca. Polaris Music Prize. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
  33. ↑ "2024 Nominees - Polaris Music Prize". polarismusicprize.ca. Polaris Music Prize. Retrieved December 11, 2025.Chelosky, Danielle (July 11, 2024). "Polaris Music Prize 2024 Shortlist Includes Cindy Lee, The Beaches, Allison Russell, & More". Stereogum . Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  34. ↑ Chelosky, Danielle (July 10, 2025). "Polaris Music Prize Announces 2025 Shortlist". Stereogum . Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  35. ↑ "About the Heritage Prize". polarismusicprize.ca. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Polaris Music Prize Announces Heritage Prize Nominees". Exclaim! , September 18, 2015.
  37. 1 2 "Arcade Fire, Neil Young and Rush Among Winners of Polaris Heritage Prize". Billboard , October 25, 2016.
  38. ↑ Assaly, Richie (March 7, 2025). "Buffy Sainte-Marie stripped of Polaris Music Prize, Juno Awards and Canadian Music Hall of Fame induction". Toronto Star. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  39. ↑ Polaris Music Prize Sponsors at the Wayback Machine (archived September 4, 2018)
  40. ↑ "Sirius Sponsors Polaris Music Prize". billboard.com. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  41. ↑ "Scion Canada supports Canadian talent as new presenting sponsor of Polaris Music Prize". media.scion.ca. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  42. ↑ Wheeler, Brad (October 1, 2010). "Should it be called the Polaris 'Indie' Music Prize?". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved October 1, 2010.
  43. ↑ "Should it be called the Polaris 'Indie' Music Prize?". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  44. ↑ "Polaris Salons Announced For Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax". polarismusicprize.ca. August 28, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  45. ↑ james-reaney. "F***** Up (language alert, language alert below) wins the 2009 Polaris Music Prize on Monday night, Ancaster's Simone Caruso wins the 29th youth talent competition at the Western Fair on Sunday before a packed London City Music Theatre". James' Brand New Blog. Archived from the original on November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  46. ↑ "Toronto hardcore band wins Polaris Music Prize". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  47. ↑ "The Prize That Dare Not Speak Its Name". The New Yorker. September 22, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  48. ↑ Rob Harvilla (May 11, 2009). "A Brief History of the Times' Valiant Attempts to Give Fucked Up Press Without Mentioning Them by Name". Sound of the City. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  49. ↑ "Godspeed You! Black Emperor Win The 2013 Polaris Music Prize". Polaris Music Prize. September 23, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  50. ↑ "Statement from Godspeed You! Black Emperor on Polaris – Constellation Records". Archived from the original on November 25, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  51. ↑ "People Hating on Tanya Tagaq's 'Fuck PETA' Polaris Speech Are Missing the Point". VICE. September 27, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  52. ↑ "Tanya Tagaq: Being An Aboriginal Woman Is Like Being Scared At A Horror Movie. All The Time". The Huffington Post. October 8, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  53. ↑ "Lido Pimienta launches expletive-driven speech as she wins Polaris Music Prize". NATIONAL POST. September 19, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  54. ↑ Murray Mandryk, "How should we address Buffy Sainte-Marie's misrepresentation?". Regina Leader-Post , November 19, 2023.
  55. ↑ Kevin Maimann, "Buffy Sainte-Marie stripped of Juno, Polaris music awards". CBC News, March 7, 2025.
  56. ↑ "Free Polaris Cover Sessions 10-Inch Vinyl At Select Retailers". polarismusic.ca. October 7, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  57. ↑ "WATCH: Sarah Harmer Cover Caribou's 'Odessa'". polarismusicprize.ca. August 21, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  58. ↑ "WATCH: Whitehorse Covers New Pornographers' 'Bones Of An Idol'". polarismusicprize.ca. September 3, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  59. ↑ "WATCH: Great Lake Swimmers Cover Sarah Harmer's 'I'm A Mountain'". polarismusicprize.ca. August 27, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  60. ↑ "Arkells Cover Owen Pallett's 'I Am Not Afraid' For Polaris Cover Sessions #4". polarismusicprize.ca. October 8, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  61. ↑ "Zaki Ibrahim Covers Leonard Cohen's 'Show Me The Place' For Polaris Cover Sessions #6". polarismusicprize.ca. July 11, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  62. ↑ "Joel Plaskett Covers Feist's 'Bittersweet Melodies' For Polaris Cover Sessions #5". polarismusicprize.ca. April 25, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  63. ↑ "Little Scream Does Mary Margaret O'Hara's "Anew Day" For SiriusXM Polaris Cover Session". polarismusicprize.ca. July 25, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  64. ↑ "Hannah Georgas Does Arcade Fire's "Crown Of Love" For Latest SiriusXM Polaris Cover Session". polarismusicprize.ca. May 24, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  65. ↑ Brophy, Aaron (March 27, 2017). "Les soeurs Boulay Do Kate & Anna McGarrigle To Launch 2017 SiriusXM Polaris Cover Sessions". Polaris Music Prize. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  66. ↑ "Jean-Michel Blais Covers Feist's "Mushaboom" For SiriusXM Polaris Cover Sessions". polarismusicprize.ca. August 7, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  67. ↑ "Weaves Do Arcade Fire's "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" For SiriusXM Polaris Cover Session". polarismusicprize.ca. May 8, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  68. ↑ "Lindi Ortega Covers Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" For SiriusXM Polaris Cover Sessions". polarismusicprize.ca. June 13, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  69. ↑ "Faith Healer Covers The Band's "When You Awake" For SiriusXM Polaris Cover Sessions". polarismusicprize.ca. July 3, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  70. ↑ "Partner Covers Rush's "Limelight" For SiriusXM Polaris Cover Sessions". polarismusicprize.ca. August 28, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  71. ↑ "Pierre Kwenders Covers Jean-Pierre Ferland's "It Ain't Fair" For SiriusXM Polaris Cover Sessions". polarismusicprize.ca. June 12, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  72. ↑ AUX (September 8, 2014). "Shad and Holy Fuck (Holy Shad) 7-inch Collaboration (Behind-the-Scenes)" . Retrieved September 25, 2016– via YouTube.[ dead YouTube link ]
  73. ↑ "Buffy Sainte-Marie And Tanya Tagaq Team Up For Polaris Collaboration Session". polarismusicprize.ca. February 21, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  74. ↑ "The Weather Station & Jennifer Castle Polaris-Stingray Seven-Inch Available Free For Record Store Day Canada". polarismusicprize.ca. April 3, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
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