2018 Polaris Music Prize Long List Is Here

The Polaris Music Prize, presented by CBC Music, has unveiled the 40 albums on the 2018 Long List.

The 2018 Polaris Music Prize Long List is:

a l l i e – Nightshade

Alvvays – Antisocialites

Arcade Fire – Everything Now

Bahamas – Earthtones

The Barr Brothers – Queens of the Breakers

Bernice – Puff LP: In the air without a shape

Jean-Michel Blais – Dans ma main

Bonjay – Lush Life

Booji Boys – Weekend Rocker

Philippe Brach – Le silence des troupeaux

Cadence Weapon – Cadence Weapon

Daniel Caesar – Freudian

Jennifer Castle – Angels of Death

Clairmont The Second – Lil Mont from The Ave

Gord Downie – Introduce Yerself

Jeremy Dutcher – Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa

Faith Healer – Try 😉

FRIGS – Basic Behaviour

Zaki Ibrahim – The Secret Life of Planets

Iskwé – The Fight Within

Kacy & Clayton – The Siren’s Song

Lydia Képinski – Premier Juin

Pierre Kwenders – MAKANDA at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time

Pierre Lapointe – La science du coeur

Mélissa Laveaux – Radyo Siwèl

Hubert Lenoir – Darlène

Terra Lightfoot – New Mistakes

Loud – Une année record

Milk & Bone – Deception Bay

Partner – In Search Of Lost Time

Propagandhi – Victory Lap

Vivek Shraya & Queer Songbook Orchestra – Part-Time Woman

Sloan – 12

Snotty Nose Rez Kids – The Average Savage

U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited

The Weather Station – The Weather Station

Weaves – Wide Open

Charlotte Day Wilson – Stone Woman

Donovan Woods – Both Ways

YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN – Dirt

In total, 225 albums were considered by the 203 member jury for Long List selection.

Presented by Canada Council for the Arts, the announcement took place earlier today at The Drake Underground in Toronto, Ontario.

“Supporting artistic creation and new generations of creators in all music genres is core to what we do at Canada Council for the Arts,” said Carolyn Warren, Director General, Arts Granting Programs Division / Directrice générale, Division des programmes de subventions aux arts.

2015 Polaris Music Prize winner Buffy Sainte-Marie; 2016 Long List nominee Safia Nolin; Alanna Stuart of 2018 Long-Listers, Bonjay; and Toronto City Councillor Josh Colle were all on hand to help present the Long List nominees. In addition, Clairmont The Second, gave a surprise performance of music from his 2018 Long-Listed album, Lil Mont from The Ave.

The 10 album Short List will be announced on July 17, and the 2018 Polaris Music Prize winner will be revealed at the Polaris Gala on Monday, September 17 at the Carlu in Toronto, which will be live streamed via cbcmusic.ca/polaris.

The Polaris Music Prize awards $50,000 to the artist who creates the Canadian Album of the Year, judged solely on artistic merit, without consideration for genre or record sales. Additionally, the nine other nominated acts whose albums make the 2018 Short List will receive $3,000 each courtesy of Slaight Music.

Albums eligible for 2018 Polaris Music Prize consideration must be released between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018. An independent jury of music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers from across Canada determine the Long List and Short List. Eleven people from the larger jury pool are then chosen to serve on the Grand Jury. This Grand Jury convene on the night of the Gala to select the Polaris Music Prize winner.

Past winners have included Lido Pimienta (2017), Kaytranada (2016), 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).