Some exciting news today for fans of Canadian music and blogger types with list making and awards gala following proclivities. The 2009 Polaris Music Prize will be handed out at a Sept. 21st soiree at a Toronto location that has yet to be announced and will be hosted by CBC Radio 3’s Grant Lawrence.
The long list of 40 contending titles will be revealed on June 15th, whilst the short list of 10 final nominees will be announced at a July 7th press conference at Toronto's Drake Hotel. (Curiously, the long list was revealed for the first time, only last year.)
SIRIUS Satellite Radio Canada will be the presenting sponsor for the Polaris Music Prize of $20,000, which will be awarded to the Canadian artist who creates what's judged to be the year's best album. Discs released between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009 are eligible for this year's prize. The winner is judged based on artistic merit, not sales.
The long list and short list are determined by a jury of 190 Canadian music journalists, bloggers and broadcasters. Eleven jury members will be selected to vote on the grand jury, which convenes the night of the gala to determine the winner.
Caribou's Andorra won last year's Polaris Music Prize. Final Fantasy's He Poos Clouds won the inaugural prize in 2006, and Patrick Watson's Close To Paradise won in 2007.
So this is your chance to do some lobbying folks… My lobbying efforts would strongly favour Bruce Peninsula's fine recording – A Mountain is a Mouth. What efforts would you champion?
And speaking of fine Canadian music, Rock Plaza Central is in town this Thursday night (May 28th) for a show at Call the Office. Rock Plaza Central have been around for a few years now and has released three full-length CDs, including the critically acclaimed Are We Not Horses, a song cycle “about robotic horses who think they are real horses, and a handful of other things”. A new CD, called ...at the Moment of our Most Needing, or If Only They Could Turn Around, They Would Know They Weren't Alone, is slated for release on May 26th.
Also scheduled on May 28th is a free in-store concert at London’s finest record shop, Grooves Records starting at 4:00 pm and running until 5. Thank you once again Tim Turner for the heads-up on that one. Grooves Records is located at 353 Clarence Street. Please plan to attend! If you happen to be available at that time I would highly recommend your attendance at this event and the performance later that evening at Call the Office. And just to make the evening a can't miss event, local London Album of the Year winners (and personal favourites) Olenka and the Autumn Lovers will be openers at the CTO event. (Come to think of it, add them to the lobbying for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize.)
The long list of 40 contending titles will be revealed on June 15th, whilst the short list of 10 final nominees will be announced at a July 7th press conference at Toronto's Drake Hotel. (Curiously, the long list was revealed for the first time, only last year.)
SIRIUS Satellite Radio Canada will be the presenting sponsor for the Polaris Music Prize of $20,000, which will be awarded to the Canadian artist who creates what's judged to be the year's best album. Discs released between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009 are eligible for this year's prize. The winner is judged based on artistic merit, not sales.
The long list and short list are determined by a jury of 190 Canadian music journalists, bloggers and broadcasters. Eleven jury members will be selected to vote on the grand jury, which convenes the night of the gala to determine the winner.
Caribou's Andorra won last year's Polaris Music Prize. Final Fantasy's He Poos Clouds won the inaugural prize in 2006, and Patrick Watson's Close To Paradise won in 2007.
So this is your chance to do some lobbying folks… My lobbying efforts would strongly favour Bruce Peninsula's fine recording – A Mountain is a Mouth. What efforts would you champion?
And speaking of fine Canadian music, Rock Plaza Central is in town this Thursday night (May 28th) for a show at Call the Office. Rock Plaza Central have been around for a few years now and has released three full-length CDs, including the critically acclaimed Are We Not Horses, a song cycle “about robotic horses who think they are real horses, and a handful of other things”. A new CD, called ...at the Moment of our Most Needing, or If Only They Could Turn Around, They Would Know They Weren't Alone, is slated for release on May 26th.Also scheduled on May 28th is a free in-store concert at London’s finest record shop, Grooves Records starting at 4:00 pm and running until 5. Thank you once again Tim Turner for the heads-up on that one. Grooves Records is located at 353 Clarence Street. Please plan to attend! If you happen to be available at that time I would highly recommend your attendance at this event and the performance later that evening at Call the Office. And just to make the evening a can't miss event, local London Album of the Year winners (and personal favourites) Olenka and the Autumn Lovers will be openers at the CTO event. (Come to think of it, add them to the lobbying for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize.)
