Here's the 2021 Polaris Music Prize Long List
TOBi, the Weather Station, Daniel Lanois, Mustafa, Yu Su and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson are among the nominees
The list of Canadian nominees for this year's prize includes Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, the Besnard Lakes, Cadence Weapon, Charlotte Cardin, DijahSB, Thanya Iyer, Yves Jarvis, Rochelle Jordan, Daniel Lanois, Mustafa, Dorothea Paas, Klô Pelgag, Savannah Ré, Allison Russell, Yu Su, TOBi, the Weather Station and Zoon, among others.
Check out the 40-album long list below.
The 40 long-listed nominees were chosen by an independent jury of nearly 200 music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers from across Canada. Artists eligible for this year's Polaris Music Prize must have released an album between May 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021. The jury awards the prize to the best Canadian album "without regard to musical genre or commercial popularity."
Of the 40 Canadian artists announced on the long list, only 10 will move on to the shortlist. Shortlist finalists will be announced on July 15. The winner of the 2021 Polaris Music Prize and the $50,000 that comes with it will be announced in the fall.
The usual gala in Toronto to announce the winner was replaced last year by a "special cinematic event" featuring original short films honouring each of the 10 finalists followed by the winner reveal; it is yet to be revealed how the final announcement will proceed this year.
Last year's Polaris Music Prize was won by Backxwash for the album God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It.
2021 Polaris Music Prize Long List:
Art Bergmann – Late Stage Empire Dementia
Bernice – Eau De Bonjourno
The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are the Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson – Theory of Ice
Big Brave – Vital
Cadence Weapon – Parallel World
Charlotte Cardin – Phoenix
CFCF – memoryland
Clairmont The Second – It's Not How It Sounds
Helena Deland – Someone New
DijahSB – Head Above the Waters
Kathleen Edwards – Total Freedom
Dominique Fils-Aimé – Three Little Words
Fiver with the Atlantic School of Spontaneous Composition – Fiver with the Atlantic School of Spontaneous Composition
Thanya Iyer – KIND
Yves Jarvis – Sundry Rock Song Stock
Rochelle Jordan – Play with the Changes
LAL – Meteors Could Come Down
Daniel Lanois – Heavy Sun
Thierry Larose – Cantalou
Russell Louder – Humor
Elliot Maginot – Easy Morning
Mustafa – When Smoke Rises
Laura Niquay – Waska Matisiwin
NYSSA – Girls Like Me
The OBGMs – The Ends
Dorothea Paas – Anything Can't Happen
Klô Pelgag – Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs
Savannah Ré – Opia
Allison Russell – Outside Child
Julien Sagot – Sagot
Sargeant X Comrade – Magic Radio
Shabason, Krgovich & Harris – Philadelphia
Yu Su – Yellow River Blue
Julian Taylor – The Ridge
TEKE::TEKE – Shirushi
TOBi – Elements Vol. 1
Vagina Witchcraft – Vagina Witchcraft
The Weather Station – Ignorance
Zoon – Bleached Wavves