POLARIS LONG LIST REVEALED
Nominees run the gamut, from Bieber to Art Bergmann
WHITEHORSE Pop star Justin Bieber’s Purpose, synth-pop adventurer Grimes’s Art Angels, and Montreal pianist Jean-Michel Blais’s II are among three of the 40 albums on this year’s Polaris Music Prize long list.
The titles — which also include hip-hop phenom Drake’s VIEWS, R& B/pop sensation The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind the Madness, and rising folk-rock act The Strumbellas’s Hope — were revealed Wednesday at the Yukon Transportation Museum in Whitehorse.
The Polaris Music Prize, now in its 11th year, awards $50,000 to the best Canadian album, regardless of sales or genre. Music writers, bloggers, and broadcasters across the country help select the long list. This year, 183 albums were in the running, suggested by 192 jurors.
A short list of 10 albums, determined by another round of voting, will be announced on July 14 at The Carlu in Toronto. The venue will also host the Polaris Music Prize Gala on Sept. 19, during which 11 jurors will decide the winner of the $50,000 prize.
The event, featuring performances by shortlisted artists, will be streamed on CBC Music and AUX.tv.
Jean-Michel Blais, who performed a few songs at Wednesday’s announcement, was surprised that his debut, II, made the long list. The Montreal composer and pianist released it in April on Toronto’s Arts & Crafts label.
“It’s unexpected,” he said. “It was just this simple album that we created. Having this on the long list is beautiful. I hope it will help more people discover the album.”
Each year, the Polaris Music Prize announces its long list from a different city. Whitehorse follows in the footsteps of such previous hosts as Halifax, Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver.
Toronto-based soul singer Tanika Charles, who was raised in Edmonton, also made the long list with her album, Soul Run. So did 63-year-old rock veteran Art Bergmann for his album, The Apostate. He was an underground hero for much of the 1980s, and ’90s, then disappeared for almost two decades. He now lives on an acreage outside of Airdrie.
For the full Polaris long list, go to edmontonjournal.com.
The Polaris Music Prize, now in its 11th year, awards $50,000 to the best Canadian album, regardless of sales or genre.
Edmonton Journal music writer Sandra Sperounes took part in the Polaris announcement and other Polaris events in Whitehorse as part of a trip sponsored by the Government of Yukon’s Department of Economic Development.