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).
Music Canada