I’ve been a member of the Polaris Music Prize jury since 2009/2010. Proud to be a member, even though my choices rarely get past the nomination stage. Below is the press release (June 11) about the Polaris Long List. Following that, I make some comments including sharing my initial ballot; I am not yet allowed to share my ‘short list’ ballot.
“The Polaris Music Prize, presented by CBC Music, has revealed its 40 album Long List.
The Long List is where Polaris reveals the 40 nominated albums that will be considered for a given year’s Prize. This year’s Long List is presented by Canada Council for the Arts.
Watch the official Long List announcement video now!
The 2024 Polaris Music Prize Long List is:
Allie X — Girl With No Face
BAMBII — INFINITY CLUB
The Beaches — Blame My Ex
BIG|BRAVE — A Chaos Of Flowers
Haley Blais — Wisecrack
Charlotte Cardin — 99 Nights
Beverly Glenn-Copeland — The Ones Ahead
Corridor — Mimi
Helena Deland — Goodnight Summerland
Annie-Claude Deschênes — LES MANIÈRES DE TABLE
Devours — Homecoming Queen
DijahSB — The Flower That Knew
Ducks Ltd. — Harm’s Way
Jeremy Dutcher — Motewolonuwok
Elisapie — Inuktitut
Dominique Fils-Aimé — Our Roots Run Deep
Shane Ghostkeeper — Songs For My People
Karkwa — Dans la seconde
KAYTRAMINÉ — KAYTRAMINÉ
KEN mode — Void
La Force — XO Skeleton
La Sécurité — Stay Safe!
Cindy Lee — Diamond Jubilee
Sean Leon — IN LOVING MEMORY
Terra Lightfoot — Healing Power
LOONY — LOONY
Jon Mckiel — Hex
myst milano. — Beyond the Uncanny Valley
NOBRO — Set Your Pussy Free
NYSSA — Shake Me Where I’m Foolish
Pelada — Ahora Más Que Nunca
PETER PETER — Éther
Population II — Électrons libres du québec
Allison Russell — The Returner
Arielle Soucy — Il n’y a rien que je ne suis pas
Super Duty Tough Work — Paradigm Shift
TALK — Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees
TEKE::TEKE — Hagata
TOBi — Panic
Tomb Mold — The Enduring Spirit
The Long List includes 16 first-time nominees as well as three past winners (Jeremy Dutcher, KAYTRAMINÉ, Karkwa) and one past Polaris Heritage Prize recipient (Beverly Glenn-Copeland). In total, 238 albums were considered for the Long List by the 207 member jury this season.
The 2024 Long List was unveiled during a takeover of Sonic Boom Record Shop in Toronto’s downtown west end. The public Long List reveal event also featured a number of nominees in attendance as well as a musical set by Polaris juror DJ MelBoogie.
The Polaris Music Prize Short List revealing the 10 finalist albums being considered for this year’s Prize will be unveiled on July 11. More details on this will be announced in the coming weeks.
The winning album will be revealed during the Polaris Gala, taking place Tuesday, September 17 at Massey Hall in Toronto. This will be the second year the Polaris Gala will be taking place at the iconic 130-year-old Massey Hall, Canada’s marquee live venue. Tickets to the Polaris Gala are on sale now via the Massey Hall website.
The Polaris Music Prize awards $50,000 courtesy of Slaight Family Foundation, going to the artist who creates the Canadian Album of the Year, judged solely on artistic merit, without consideration for genre or record sales.
ALBUM ELIGIBILITY
Albums eligible for 2024 Polaris Music Prize consideration must be released between April 1, 2023 and May 1, 2024. An independent jury of musical selectors from across Canada and the adjoining unceded Indigenous lands determines 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 then convenes to select the Polaris Music Prize winner.”
Polaris Music Prize jurors take the time to listen to the albums nominated by its members, and then decide which five albums we feel best meet the award’s rather broad criteria. We complete a weighted ballot and then await the results to see which 40 albums make the Long List. My ballot consisted of:
1. Adrian Sutherland — Precious Diamonds
2.Allison Russell — The Returner
3.Corb Lund — El Viejo
4.Trans-Canada Highwaymen — Explosive Hits, Vol. 1
5.Sean Burns — Lost Country
I don’t usually vote strategically, but I did bump Adrian Sutherland to the top of my ballot because I felt it deserved inclusion in the Long List and I was confident Allison Russell would make it. Alas, Allison Russell was the only artist I voted for that made the cut; by the way, I put forth additional albums for consideration but had to leave them off my final ballot. I was very pleased with my initial Long List ballot as I feel I identified albums deserving of attention and the award; alas, as usual, the other 200+ jurors didn’t support my opinion in sufficient numbers.
Now we wait for a month (July 11) until the Top Ten from the Long List voting are named as the Short List. I had no difficulty completing my Short List ballot although I wish, as always, that more of the roots albums I deemed significant had made the Long List.
Back to the press release:
“POLARIS WINNERS
The past winners are Debby Friday (2023), Pierre Kwenders (2022), Cadence Weapon (2021), Backxwash (2020), Haviah Mighty (2019), Jeremy Dutcher (2018), 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).
POLARIS MUSIC PRIZE 2024 EVENT SEASON
June 11 – Long List Announcement: The Long List is where Polaris reveals the 40 nominated albums that will be considered for a given year’s Prize.
July 11 – Short List Announcement: Selected from the 40 album Long List, the Short List is where Polaris reveals the 10 finalist albums that will be considered for a given year’s Prize.
September 17 – Polaris Gala: Our prestige winner reveal event, the Polaris Gala features live musical performances from the nominated acts on the Polaris Short List. The Polaris Prize winner is determined by an 11-member Polaris Grand Jury selected from the greater Polaris juror pool.
October 2024 – Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize: The Heritage Prize is a hall of fame-minded critics prize/public polling campaign meant to celebrate classic Canadian albums created before Polaris began in 2006. Like the Polaris Music Prize, winners and nominees of the Heritage Prize are albums of the highest artistic distinction, without regard to sales or affiliations.
We acknowledge the financial support of FACTOR, the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters.“
Fervor Coulee- roots music opinion 