Polaris Prize Long List Announced

The Polaris Music Prize announced its long list yesterday in Toronto, and the forty nominated artists include nineteen musicians who were nominated for the very first time. Musicians vying for the (recently upped) $30,000 cash prize include such established artists as Arcade Fire, Neil Young, Malajube and Stars. The list also included newer performers such as One Hundred Dollars,  Imaginary Cities, Little Scream, Braids and Dirty Beaches. (Criminally not included were local personal favourites Olenka and the Autumn Lovers.) I love you Neil Young but that record was just a little forgettable.

Last year, the prestigious award was won by Montreal rockers Karkwa, and this year’s favourites include Arcade Fire, Buck 65, Land of Talk and Jenn Grant. The long list reveal is the first step leading to the September 19th announcement of the prize. (Once again too, I welcome your Polaris prognostications in the comments section.) Who do I think will take it this year? Two trains of thought there. Head vote would go to Hey Rosetta! but my heart vote would go to the Weeknd. We’ll let them battle it out until that long night in September.


The Weeknd - The Morning (music video) from High5Collective on Vimeo.

The Polaris Music Prize awards, which were started in 2006, are given to the top Canadian artist as decided upon by a 227-member jury of Canadian music writers. Albums are judged solely on artistic merit, without regard of genre or record sales. The prize has ascended to become one of the highest honours in the Canadian music world.

The short list will be announced in Toronto on July 6th.

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Austra – Feel It Break
Black Mountain – Wilderness Heart
Braids – Native Speaker
Buck 65 – 20 Odd Years
Louise Burns – Mellow Drama
D-Sisive – Jonestown 2: Jimmy Go Bye Bye
The Dears – Degeneration Street
Destroyer – Kaputt
Diamond Rings – Special Affections
Dirty Beaches – Badlands
Luke Doucet and The White Falcon – Steel City Trawler
Eternia and MoSS – At Last
Galaxie - Tigre et Diesel
Jenn Grant – Honeymoon Punch
Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972
Hey Rosetta! – Seeds
Hooded Fang – Album
Imaginary Cities – Temporary Resident
Land Of Talk – Cloak and Cipher
Little Scream – The Golden Record
The Luyas – Too Beautiful To Work
Malajube – La Caverne
Miracle Fortress – Was I The Wave?
One Hundred Dollars – Songs Of Man
Doug Paisley – Constant Companion
PS I Love You – Meet Me At The Muster Station
Daniel Romano – Sleep Beneath the Willow
The Rural Alberta Advantage – Departing
Ron Sexsmith – Long Player Late Bloomer
Shotgun Jimmie - Transistor Sister
Sloan – The Double Cross
Frederick Squire – March 12
Stars – The Five Ghosts
Colin Stetson – New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
Timber Timbre – Creep On Creepin’ On
The Weeknd – House Of Balloons
Women – Public Strain
Neil Young – Le Noise
Young Galaxy – Shapeshifting