The Polaris Prize – Canada’s equivalent of the Mercury music prize – has unveiled a glittering array of nominees.
What the hell has happened to Canada? Long reviled for its music scene the northern state has somehow transformed itself into the coolest place on the planet. More liberal the the United States, this carefree atmosphere has transferred itself onto some stunning releases.
With the conveyor belt of talent from Canada showing no signs of stopping, the Polaris Prize aims to showcase the best albums released that year. A sort of Canadian counterpart to our own Mercury Music Prize, the Polaris is one of the most prestigious awards a group can win.
With previous winners including Final Fantasy with ‘He Poos Clouds’ (2006) and Caribou’s ‘Andorra’ (2008) the competition is fierce.
In total, 182 journalists and music industry figures from across Canada are probed on what they view as being the year’s essential releases. This year the shortlist is jam-packed with talent, and for the first time there are no repeat nominees.
Steve Jordan revealed the short list by saying:
“If there’s a common thread to these records, it’s that each artist built on previous successes by pushing themselves into even riskier artistic dimensions. Listeners will find the jury picked quite an ambitious crop this year. This is exactly the kind of artistry that Polaris aims to support.”
Here’s the list in full:
Elliot BROOD – Mountain Meadows
Fucked Up – The Chemistry Of Common Life
Great Lake Swimmers – Lost Channels
Hey Roseta! – Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through
your blood)
K’NAAN – Troubadour
Malajube – Labyrinthes
Metric – Fantasies
Joel Plaskett – Three
Chad VanGaalen – Soft Airplane
Patrick Watson – Wooden Arms
So we’ve got Fucked Up and Metric on the same list, alongside a host of other new talent – looks pretty tasty. Brad Schmidt from MTV claimed that “We’re excited to bring this event to the famous Concert Hall that has hosted performances by the biggest names in music, past and present. The history of this iconic venue makes it the perfect location to honour these incredible musicians and their records.”
The winner of this year’s Polaris prize will be announced in The Masonic Temple, Toronto on September 21st.
