Everything You Need To Know About The 2026 Polaris Concert & Award Show
CBC presents the Polaris Music Prize’s big event is almost here. The 2026 Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony takes place Tuesday, September 22 at Toronto’s Massey Hall. Tickets are available via the Massey website.
Polaris honours and rewards artists who produce Canadian music of distinction and the Polaris Concert represents the culmination of the organization’s annual search to determine this year’s best Canadian album and song based on artistic merit.
Here are some important things to know…
Performers
There will be nine performances (subject to change): Angine de Poitrine, Aquakultre, Begonia, Bibi Club, Beverly Glenn-Copeland & Elizabeth Copeland, Charlotte Cornfield, Les Louanges and Tanya Tagaq, in addition to an interpretation of Peaches’ No Lube So Rude album from 2026 Album Long List nominees Slash Need.
Hosts & Presenters
The evening will be hosted by CBC Music Afterdark’s Odario Williams. Additionally, Jeremy Dutcher, the only two-time Polaris Album Prize winner, will be a special guest presenter.
“What Should I Wear?”
We get asked this a lot. Officially the dress code is “creative cocktail,” which basically means wear what you want, but if you want to be bold, sharp or outlandish, this is your chance.
Polaris Posters
Our long-running Polaris Poster program returns this year thanks to our design partners at aftermodern.lab. A limited quantity of each silkscreen print inspired by the 10 Album Short List nominees will be on sale night-of at Massey Hall. aftermodern.lab are currently also accepting pre-sale orders at their website right now.
The Nominees
The whole evening revolves around four awards — the Polaris Album Prize for best Canadian album, the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize for best Canadian song, and the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, where we honour two exceptional Canadian albums created before 2006. The album winner will receive $30,000 courtesy of the Slaight Family Foundation and the song winner will receive $10,000 courtesy of SOCAN.
The 2026 Polaris Music Prize Album Short List is:
Angine de Poitrine – Vol. II – Performing
Aquakultre – 1783 – Performing
Begonia – Fantasy Life – Performing
Bibi Club – Amaro – Performing
Charlotte Cornfield – Hurts Like Hell – Performing
Beverly Glenn-Copeland – Laughter In Summer – Performing
Rochelle Jordan – Through The Wall
Les Louanges – Alouette! – Performing
Peaches – No Lube So Rude – Interpreted by Slash Need
Tanya Tagaq – Saputjiji – Performing
The 2026 SOCAN Polaris Song Prize Short List is:
Angine de Poitrine – “Fabienk”
Charlotte Cornfield – “Hurts Like Hell”
PUP – “Hunger For Death”
Patrick Watson & Martha Wainwright – “House on Fire”
Charlotte Day Wilson, Saya Gray – “Lean”
The 2026 Heritage Prize Nominee List is:
Annihilator – Alice in Hell (1989)
Les Colocs – Les Colocs (1993)
Joni Mitchell – Court and Spark (1974)
k.d. lang & the Reclines – Absolute Torch and Twang (1989)
Mort Garson – Mother Earth’s Plantasia (1976)
Muzion – Mentalité moune morne (Ils n’ont pas compris)(1999)
Willie Dunn – Willie Dunn (1971)
Richard Desjardins – Tu m’aimes-tu (1990)
Rough Trade – Avoid Freud (1980)
Sarah Harmer – You Were Here (2000)
Various – Kwakiutl: Indian Music of the Pacific Northwest (1981)
The Watchmen – McLaren Furnace Room (1992)
Polaris Festival
While the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony is our biggest night, a number of exciting music events remain on the Polaris calendar as the Polaris Festival presented by SiriusXM Canada continues throughout September. Remaining events include free concerts from the likes of Witch Prophet and Adria Kain, co-promotional events with the Second Summer festival and London, Ontario’s Punk Rock Flea Market, as well as curated Dreaming With listening parties dedicated to Caribou and Broken Social Scene.
CBC Coverage
The 2026 Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony will be recorded by CBC for a future episode of the CBC Music Presents: Live At Massey Hall series. CBC Music’s weekly summer radio show THE TEN, dedicated to each of the Polaris Album Short List nominees, is now broadcasting. Catch up on past episodes of THE TEN on CBC Listen and tune in each Sunday on CBC Music at 6 p.m. (6:30 NL) until September 20. Follow CBC Music on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok for more Polaris Music Prize content.
Who Decides The Winners?
The Polaris Album & Song Prizes are determined by the Polaris Jury, an association of 200-plus music journalists, historians and academics from across the country with a deep appreciation for Canadian music. The jury discusses music year-round and determines the various Long Lists, Short Lists and winners through a series of debates, presentations, and voting sessions.
CBC presents the 2026 Polaris Music Prize. This year’s Concert & Award Ceremony is powered by FACTOR, the Government of Canada, and Canada’s private radio broadcasters. It is supported by SiriusXM Canada, Ontario Creates, the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, and the Slaight Family Foundation.
