| 2018 Polaris Music Prize | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 17, 2018 |
| Country | Canada |
| Hosted by | Raina Douris |
| Winner | Jeremy Dutcher, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa |
| Website | polarismusicprize |
The 2018 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 17, 2018. [1] The gala was hosted by broadcaster Raina Douris.
The Polaris committee announced the grand jury in August 2018. Jurors were Matt Carter of Grid City , Jill Krajewski of Noisey , Erin Lowers of Exclaim! , Dustin Riel McGladrey of the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta, Marc-André Mongrain of Radio-Canada, Josh O'Kane of The Globe and Mail , Rosina Riccardo of CJAM-FM, Kate Wilson of The Georgia Straight , and freelance music writers J.D. Considine, Marie Mello and Anubha Momin.
The ten-album shortlist was announced on July 17. [2]
Jeremy Dutcher, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa The prize's preliminary 40-album longlist was announced on June 14. [1]
Nominees for the Polaris Heritage Prize, a separate award to honour classic Canadian albums released before the creation of the Polaris Prize, were announced at the main Polaris gala, and the winners were announced on October 23. [3]
Public: Neil Young, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere Jury: Jean-Pierre Ferland, Jaune Public: Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill Jury: Dream Warriors, And Now the Legacy Begins Public: Broken Social Scene, You Forgot It in People Jury: Kid Koala, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 
The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award was established in 2006 with a $20,000 cash prize; the prize was increased to $30,000 for the 2011 award. In May 2015, the Polaris Music Prize was increased to $50,000, an additional $20,000, sponsored by Slaight Music. Additionally, second place prizes for the nine other acts on the Short List increased from $2,000 to $3,000. Polaris officials also announced The Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, an award that "will annually honour five albums from the five decades before Polaris launched in 2006." Details about the selection process for this prize are still to be revealed.
The Prism Prize is a national juried award recognizing the artistry of the modern music video in Canada. A jury of over 120 Canadian music and film industry professionals, including members of the print and web media, broadcasting, film, radio, and video art communities, nominate the 10 best videos of the year to comprise the Prism Prize shortlist. The winning video receives a cash prize of $20,000. This is the richest cash prize for music videos in North America.
Alvvays is a Canadian indie pop band formed in 2011, originating from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and subsequently based in Toronto, Ontario. It consists of Molly Rankin, Kerri MacLellan (keyboards), Alec O'Hanley (guitars), Abbey Blackwell (bass), and Sheridan Riley (drums). Their self-titled debut album, released in 2014, topped the US college charts. Their second studio album, Antisocialites, was released on September 8, 2017. Their third album, Blue Rev, was released on October 7, 2022.
The 2015 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 21, 2015 at The Carlu event theatre in Toronto, Ontario. The event was hosted by children's entertainer Fred Penner.
Pierre Kwenders is the stage name of José Louis Modabi, a Congolese-Canadian musician. His 2014 album Le Dernier empereur bantou was a shortlisted nominee for the Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2015, and a longlisted nominee for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize. Kwenders, who sings and raps in English, French, Lingala and Tshiluba, is noted for blending both African music and western pop music influences, including hip hop and electronic music, into his style.
The following is a list of notable events and releases that are expected to happen in 2016 in music in Canada.
The 2016 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 19, 2016 at The Carlu event theatre in Toronto, Ontario. The hosts of the gala were broadcasters Tom Power and Amanda Parris.
The following is a list of notable events and releases that are expected to happen in 2017 in music in Canada.
Ashton Dumar Norwill Simmonds, known professionally as Daniel Caesar, is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter. After independently building a following through the release of two critically acclaimed EPs, Praise Break (2014) and Pilgrim's Paradise (2015), Caesar released his debut studio album, Freudian, in August 2017, which garnered widespread critical acclaim. He released his second studio album, Case Study 01, in June 2019. In March 2021, Caesar was featured alongside Giveon on Justin Bieber's single "Peaches", which serves as his first number-one song on the US Billboard Hot 100. More recently, Daniel released his third studio album NEVER ENOUGH in April of 2023 as his first release under label, Republic Records.
The 2017 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 18, 2017.
Freudian is the debut studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Daniel Caesar. It was released independently on August 25, 2017, by Golden Child Recordings, with distribution from TuneCore. It includes guest appearances from Kali Uchis, H.E.R., Syd, Charlotte Day Wilson and Sean Leon. Production derives from Caesar, Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans, BadBadNotGood, Alex Ernewein, Riley Bell and Jordon Manswell. The album succeeds the 2015 EP Pilgrim's Paradise. The album was nominated for a Grammy in the Best R&B Album Category, alongside a nomination for Best R&B Performance with "Get You" at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, with "Best Part" with H.E.R. winning Best R&B Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
The following musical events and releases are expected to happen in 2018 in Canada.
Snotty Nose Rez Kids are a First Nations hip hop duo composed of Haisla rappers Darren "Young D" Metz and Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce. They are originally from Kitamaat Village, British Columbia. Their 2017 album The Average Savage was shortlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize, and for the Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2019. In 2018, the duo received nominations for Best Hip Hop Album at the Indigenous Music Awards, and for Indigenous Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards. Their third album TRAPLINE was released on May 10, 2019 and was later shortlisted for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize. Their fourth album Life After (2021) was shortlisted for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize and was followed by their fifth album I’M GOOD, HBU? in 2022.
The Average Savage is the second album from Canadian First Nations hip hop duo, Snotty Nose Rez Kids. It was released independently in 2017 and served as a follow-up to their self-titled debut. The album was a critical success, propelling the duo into the national spotlight. The album was shortlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize, and nominated for the Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2019. In 2018, the album received a nomination for Best Rap/Hip Hop Album at the Indigenous Music Awards.
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.
The 2020 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on October 19, 2020. The longlist was announced on June 15, 2020, with the shortlist following on July 15, 2020 and the winner announced on October 19, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional winner's gala did not take place this year, and instead a special cinematic tribute to the shortlist was streamed online by CBC Music and CBC Gem, following which the winner was announced.
The following musical events and releases are expected to happen in 2021 in Canada.
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.
The 2022 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 19, 2022. The longlist was announced on June 14, with the shortlist following on July 14.
The 2023 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 19, 2023. The winner was electronic musician Debby Friday for her album Good Luck.