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Polaris Prize reveals 2016 Short List nominees

Posted July 14, 2016 by Bram Gonshor

This morning, the Polaris Music Prize, which honours the year’s best Canadian album, revealed the 2016 Short List nominees. The list includes:

Black Mountain – IV

Basia Bulat – Good Advice

Grimes – Art Angels

Carly Rae Jepsen – E•MO•TION

Kaytranada – 99.9%

Jessy Lanza – Oh No

PUP – The Dream Is Over

Andy Shauf – The Party

U.S. Girls – Half Free

White Lung – Paradise

The winner will be determined at the Polaris Gala, happening September 19, 2016 at The Carlu in Toronto. The gala, which will be livestreamed via CBC Music’s Facebook page and YouTube channel, will be hosted by Tom Power, CBC Radio 2 Morning host and Polaris jurist, and Amanda Parris, host of CBC Radio 2’s Marvin’s Room and CBC’s Exhibitionists.

The winning artist will receive a $50,000 cash prize, while the nine other Short List artists will receive $3,000 courtesy of Slaight Music.

The Polaris jury consists of journalists, broadcasters, bloggers and programmers from across Canada, and the winning album is based solely on artistic merit, without consideration of genre or record sales. The prize’s past winners are Buffy Sainte-Marie (2015), Tanya Tagaq (2014), Godspeed You! Black Emperor (2013), Feist (2012), Arcade Fire (2011), Karkwa (2010), Fucked Up (2009), Caribou (2008), Patrick Watson (2007), and Final Fantasy / Owen Pallett (2006).

Categories: Industry News
Tags: Andy Shauf, Basia Bulat, Black Mountain, Carly Rae Jepsen, Grimes, Jessy Lanza, Kaytranada, Polaris 2016, Polaris Prize, PUP, US Girls, White Lung

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Nunavut Throat Singer Tanya Tagaq Wins 2014 Polaris Music Prize

Posted September 23, 2014 by Bram Gonshor

On Monday night, the 2014 Polaris Music Prize was awarded to Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq for her album Animism. Tagaq, who received a standing ovation from the gala attendees following her uplifting performance, was awarded a cash prize of $30,000 for her Polaris win. The winner was decided by a panel of selected music critics and announced during the 9th annual gala event at The Carlu in Toronto, hosted by actor Jay Baruchel.

The evening consisted of performances from 6 of the 10 nominees including Mac Demarco, Basia Bulat, Owen Pallett, Jessy Lanza, Shad and winner Tanya Tagaq. Timber Timbre, Yamantaka//Sonic Titan and Win Butler of Arcade Fire were in attendance but did not perform. Drake, who was nominated for Nothing Was The Same was not able to attend the gala due to a scheduled concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles with Lil Wayne.

Music Canada is a proud sponsor of the Polaris Music Prize and would like to congratulate Tanya Tagaq on winning this year’s award, as well as all of the nominees for making the 2014 short list. Photos of the gala can be seen below:

: Tanya Tagaq

: Mac Demarco

: Basia Bulat taking a break during a photoshoot backstage

: House band Dwayne Gretzky

: Basia Bulat

: Jessy Lanza

: Shad and Lights perform “Remember To Remember”

: Polaris 2014 Short List Posters

Categories: Industry News
Tags: Arcade Fire, Basia Bulat, Drake., Jessy Lanza, Mac Demarco, Owen Pallett, Polaris Prize, Shad, Tanya Tagaq, Timber Timbre, YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN

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2014 Polaris Prize Short List Announced

Posted July 15, 2014 by Bram Gonshor

The short list for the 2014 Polaris Music Prize was announced today at The Carlu in Toronto, ON. The Polaris Music Prize is an annual event that honours the works of Canadian artists over the past year regardless of genre, sales or record label. The Polaris Prize awards gala will take place at The Carlu on September 22 and will be hosted by Canadian actor, writer and producer Jay Baruchel, who was on hand Tuesday to reveal the 10 short list nominees. The gala will be televised and webcasted by AUX, but those wishing to attend will have the chance to purchase tickets in the coming weeks.

Each year, the prize is awarded to one artist voted upon by a panel of selected music critics. After revealing the 2014 long list earlier this June, jurors then resubmitted their top 5 picks, narrowing down the nominees to only 10. In 2006, the first Polaris Music Prize was awarded to Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy for the album He Poos Clouds. Pallett, who has since dropped the Final Fantasy moniker, is nominated once again this year for his album In Conflict. Montreal’s Arcade Fire, who also won the prize in 2011 for The Suburbs, are nominated once again for Reflektor.

The full list of finalists for the 2014 Polaris Music Prize are:

Arcade Fire Reflektor