The Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize honours Canadian albums of the past from four distinct time periods: the ’60s & ’70s, the ’80s, the ’90s, and the ’00s (2000-05). Like the Polaris Music Prize, winners and nominees for the Heritage Prize are albums of the highest artistic quality, without regards to sales or affiliations.
The Heritage Prize was presented for the first time last year. The winners then were, in chronological order, Joni Mitchell, Cowboy Junkies, Sloan, and Peaches.
For 2016, two albums from each era will be selected, from a total of ten nominees in each category. One winner in each category will be chosen by a special jury, and one by the public. Voting is now open here, and the winners will be unveiled on Oct. 24th.
And the nominees are:
1960-1975
The Band: Music From Big Pink 1968
The Band: The Band 1969
Robert Charlebois & Louise Forestier: Lindberg 1968
Leonard Cohen: Songs Of Leonard Cohen 1967
Gordon Lightfoot: Lightfoot! 1966
Joni Mitchell: Court And Spark 1974
The Oscar Peterson Trio: Night Train 1963
Jackie Shane: Live! 1967
Neil Young: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere 1969
Neil Young: After The Gold Rush 1970
1976-1985
Bruce Cockburn: Stealing Fire 1984
D.O.A.: Hardcore 81 1981
Fifth Column: To Sir With Hate 1985
Glenn Gould: Bach: The Goldberg Variations 1981
Martha and the Muffins: This is the Ice Age 1981
Kate & Anna McGarrigle: Kate & Anna McGarrigle 1976
Jackie Mittoo: Showcase Volume 3 1977
Rough Trade: Avoid Freud 1980
Rush: Moving Pictures 1981
Leroy Sibbles: On Top 1982
1986-1995
Blue Rodeo: 5 Days In July 1993
Dream Warriors: And Now The Legacy Begins 1991
Maestro Fresh Wes: Symphony In Effect 1989
Daniel Lanois: Acadie 1989
Sarah McLachlan: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 1993
Main Source: Breaking Atoms 1991
Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill 1995
Mary Margaret O’Hara: Miss America 1988
John Oswald: Plunderphonics 1989
The Tragically Hip: Fully Completely 1992
1996-2005
Arcade Fire: Funeral 2004
Bran Van 3000: Glee 1997
Broken Social Scene: You Forgot It In People 2002
Constantines: Shine A Light 2004
The Dears: No Cities Left 2003
Destroyer: Streethawk 2001
Esthero: Breath from Another 1998
Feist: Let It Die 2003
k-os: Joyful Rebellion 2004
Lhasa de Sela: La Llorona 1997
