Polaris Music Prize launches new songwriting award with SOCAN
The long list for the inaugural Song Prize has been revealed
A new prize for the Canadian song of the year has just been announced by the Polaris Music Prize and SOCAN.
The Canadian performers and songwriters of the winning song will receive $10,000, and the winner will be determined based on artistic merit, without regard to musical genre or commercial popularity by the Polaris jury.
For 20 years, the Polaris Music Prize has been awarded to the best Canadian album of the year, with past winners including Feist, Kaytranada, Caribou, Jeremy Dutcher, Lido Pimienta and Debby Friday. In a musical landscape where more and more artists are releasing singles rather than full-length albums, the Polaris and SOCAN teams decided to launch this new award to provide artists with more opportunities for recognition.
The 20-song long list includes several artists who have also been nominated for this year's album prize: Mustafa, Backxwash, Yves Jarvis, Marie Davidson, the OBGMs and more. This year's album prize is $30,000, courtesy of the Slaight Family Foundation.
The album short list will be revealed on July 10, followed by the song prize short list on July 29. The list of 20 songs will be whittled down to five.
The song prize winner will be announced the same night as the main album prize, during the Polaris gala at Massey Hall on Sept. 16. Tickets are available now.
Here's the full list of nominees for the song prize:
Art d'Ecco, The Traveller
Backxwash, History of Violence
Backxwash, 9th Heaven
Caribou, Honey
Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Dis-moi dis-moi dis-moi
Marie Davidson, Fun Times
Yves Jarvis, Gold Filigree
Kaytranada feat. Lou Phelps, Call U Up
Richard Laviolette, Constant Love
Mustafa, Gaza is Calling
The OBGMs feat. Sate, Changes
Klô Pelgag, Le goût des mangues
Propagandhi, At Peace
Reuben and the Bullhorn Singers, Powerful
Ribbon Skirt, Wrong Planet
Saya Gray, Shell (Of A Man)
Snotty Nose Rez Kids feat. Aysanabee, Drezus, Rueben George, Free
Colin Stetson, The love it took to leave you
The Weather Station, Neon Signs
Rick White and The Sadies, Fly Away
