Polaris Music Prize 2020 Short List Named

Canada’s Polaris Music Prize has unveiled the 10 albums on the 2020 Short List. 

They are: 

1. Backwash – God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It
2. Caribou – Suddenly Junia-T – Studio Monk Kaytranada – Bubba
3. nêhiyawak – nipiy Pantayo – Pantayo Lido Pimienta – Miss Colombia
4. Jessie Reyez – Before Love Came To Kill Us U.S. Girls – Heavy Light
5. Witch Prophet – DNA Activation 

The Polaris Music Prize awards $50,000 “to the artist who creates the Canadian Album of the Year, judged solely on artistic merit, without consideration for genre or record sales.” The nine other nominated acts receive $3,000 each courtesy of Slaight Music. 

Polaris will be celebrating the Short List with an October 19 broadcast in Canada on the CBC Gem streaming service, CBC Music’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages and around the globe at CBCMusic.ca/Polaris.

The 2020 Polaris-winning album will be revealed live at the end of this event. 

“Canadian music has a vast and vibrant spectrum. This year’s Short List features a blend of exciting emerging voices and celebrated Polaris Prize winners. Now and forever, thank you to our jury for devoting their time and energy to crafting this list and continuing to champion the music of Canadian artists. I’d like to invite everyone to carve out some time to settle in with each of these very deserving albums. You’ll be glad you did,” said Polaris jury foreperson Melissa Vincent. 

Albums eligible for 2020 Polaris Music Prize consideration must be released between May 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020. An independent jury of music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers from across Canada determines the Long List and Short List. Eleven people from the larger jury pool are then chosen to serve on the Grand Jury. This Grand Jury will select the Polaris Music Prize winner. 

The past winners are Haviah Mighty (2019), Jeremy Dutcher (2018), Lido Pimienta (2017), Kaytranada (2016), Buffy Sainte-Marie (2015), 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).