This past Saturday at the Slaight Music CMW Social, Steve Jordan, Founder and Executive Director of the Polaris Music Prize, and Gary Slaight, President of Slaight Music, announced that Slaight will contribute an additional $20,000 to the Prize, bringing the total to $50,000. In addition, Slaight will also increase their contribution to the Short List prizes from $2,000 to $3,000.
Along with these additional contributions, Polaris announced The Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, a new award that will annually honour five albums from the five decades before Polaris launched in 2006. Further details about the dates and selection process of this new prize will be revealed in the coming months.
“We’re ecstatic that Gary and Derrick from Slaight music have stepped up to help us celebrate our tenth year in a huge way. Although it’s impossible to put a dollar figure on great art, this increase bring us more in line with other major arts awards like the Scotiabank Giller Prize,” said Jordan. “And while this money is hugely generous, we are as excited to extend the Polaris conversation to the rich legacy of classic records from Canadian history. We get to officially pose a long time informal argument; what would be nominated for Polaris before it existed?”
“We’ve been proud supporters of the Polaris Music Prize for many years and wanted to celebrate their ten years by awarding more funds to the winners and nominees,” said Gary Slaight. “In addition, we wanted to make a more lasting contribution. Launching The Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize is the perfect way for our Family to show its appreciation for the greats of Canadian music through the respected Polaris filter.”
The Polaris Music Prize Long List announcement will head to Halifax, NS on June 16th. The forty titles will be announced at the world famous Carleton music venue and will run in conjunction with the team at Halifax Pop Explosion.
The Short List will be unveiled on July 16th at The Carlu in Toronto, and the Polaris Music Prize Gala will return to The Carlu for its third year, taking place on Monday, September 21st. Aux.tv will once again stream the gala live.
The eligibility period for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize runs from June 1, 2014 to May 31, 2015. An independent jury of 196 music journalists, broadcasters and music bloggers from across Canada determines the Long List and Short List. Eleven people are selected from the larger jury pool to serve on the Grand Jury. They will convene the night of the gala to select the Polaris Music Prize winner.
The Polaris Music Prize will award $50,000 to the artist who creates the Canadian Album of the Year. Courtesy of Slaight Music, each of the nine other short listed artists will receive $3,000. Judged solely on artistic merit, without consideration of genre or record sales, the prize’s past winners have included 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 2015 Key Dates:
June 16th – Long List announcement – The Carleton, Halifax, NS
July 16th – Short List announcement – The Carlu, Toronto, ON
September 21st – Polaris Music Prize Gala – The Carlu, Toronto, ON
