2017 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize Winners Announced
The Polaris Music Prize, produced by Blue Ant Media, announced the winning albums for the 2017 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize today.
The winners were chosen from four short lists, each representing a different musical era, and were curated by a Heritage Prize jury of music historians and music media. Two winners for each era were chosen — one by public vote and one by the jury. Voting opened at the Polaris Music Prize Gala on September 18, 2017 and ended on October 19.
The winners of the 2017 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize are:
1960-1975
Public: Gordon Lightfoot — Lightfoot!
Jury: The Band — The Band
1976 – 1985
Public: Harmonium — L’Heptade
Jury: Glenn Gould – Bach: The Goldberg Variations
1986-1995
Public: The Tragically Hip — Fully Completely
Jury: Eric’s Trip — Love Tara
1996-2005
Public: Feist — Let It Die
Jury: k-os — Joyful Rebellion
“Congratulations to all the winning artists. You’ve created important memorable recordings that have had a lasting impact on the musical landscape… I have tremendous appreciation for the work that has gone into creating these timeless albums,” said Gary Slaight, President and CEO of Slaight Communications.
“It’s not easy to designate one album for each decade of Canadian music as the country’s best, choosing from all the different genres and local scenes and weighing musicianship, influence, innovation and lasting impact,” said Mary Dickie, the Heritage Prize jury foreperson. “The 2017 Heritage Prize jury listened hard, argued harder and eventually came up with this brilliant and diverse list of Canadian classics. Congratulations to all the winners!”
Gilbert Li, who curated the 2017 Polaris Music Prize posters and the posters for the 2016 Heritage Prize, will return to select eight new artists to pay tribute to the winning records.
The records that did not get selected as winners will remain on the short lists for the 2018 Heritage Prize. Two more records for each period will be selected by the jury.
The jury selected records for the Heritage Prize in accordance with existing Polaris criteria; to honour and reward artists who produce Canadian music albums of distinction without regard to musical genre or commercial popularity. It is our version of a “hall of fame.”
The 2017 Polaris Heritage Prize is supported by Slaight Music and Re:Sound.
