The 10 album Polaris Music Prize Short List will be unveiled live on a CBC Music nationwide radio broadcast on July 15.
The Polaris Prize Short List radio special will air from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT (3 p.m. AT, 3:30 p.m. NT) across Canada via CBC Music and the CBC Listen app, and will be hosted by CBC Music’s Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe. The special will feature one Short List nominee revealed every 15 minutes along with music from the nominated albums and insight from Polaris jurors.
For the safety and well-being of the Polaris community, Polaris has chosen to not host a winner Gala event this year. Instead, we will be celebrating the Short List with a special cinematic tribute happening October 19, to be broadcast in Canada on the CBC Gem streaming service, CBC Music’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages and around the globe at CBCMusic.ca/Polaris. The 2020 Polaris-winning album will be revealed live at the end of this event.
For this special, Polaris will be actively considering Canadian filmmakers to create commissioned films honouring each Short List-nominated album. An application form for interested filmmakers along with more detailed information about this project can be found at the Polaris Music Prize website.
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 2020 Short List will receive $3,000 each courtesy of Slaight Music.
Albums eligible for 2020 Polaris Music Prize consideration must be released between May 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020. An independent jury of music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers from across Canada 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 will select the Polaris Music Prize winner.
The past winners are 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).
