Godspeed You! Black Emperor Respond to Polaris Win, Decry "Corporate Banners and Culture Overlords"

Published Sep 24, 2013

Last night (September 23), long-running orchestral rock group Godspeed You! Black Emperor won the 2013 Polaris Music Prize . It should come as no surprise to anyone that's followed the band over the years that they had plenty to say about it.Aside from a friendly speech from Constellation Records head Ian Ilavsky, who announced that the band would donate their $30,000 in prize money to Quebecois prisoners, Godspeed themselves have shared a lengthy open letter , questioning the purpose of the Polaris Music Prize and, more specifically, the appropriateness of holding an expensive gala in times of economic struggle.Here's their statement in full:As could be expected, the letter has set off a national debate in all forms of social media. Happy arguing!Read Exclaim!'s review of, which received our Mark of Excellence, here