2025 Polaris Music Prize Event Season Announced
Polaris Music Prize 2025 20th Anniversary Event Season Announced
Polaris is turning 20. And we’re reflecting with gratitude, pride — and hope.
Since 2006, the Polaris Music Prize has championed albums based on artistic merit, not genre or sales. We’ve amplified bold Canadian voices, sparked career-defining moments, and created space for stories that might not have been heard.
We asked past nominees what Polaris meant to them:
- 48% said it directly led to major career opportunities.
- 80% saw increased income, audience, and funding.
- 90% saw bigger live audiences — and deeper connections with listeners.
That’s the power of celebrating art for art’s sake.
As Polaris enters its 20th season — and its first full year as a registered charity—we’re setting the stage for a future rooted in creative independence, inclusion, and radical impact. There’s more to share soon. But for now, know this: our work continues because of the artists who create it, and the community that surrounds it. That includes you.
Save the Date: September 16 Join us at Massey Hall as we crown the 2025 Polaris Music Prize winner live on stage. Early-bird tickets are 15% off with code POLARIS15.
Key 2025 Dates
- June 10 – Long List Announcement (40 albums)
- July 10 – Short List Announcement (10 finalists + performers for September)
- September 16 – Polaris Concert & Prize Ceremony @ Massey Hall
- October – Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize winners announced
Visual Theme for 2025 This season’s creative direction — by Toronto artist Moses Petros (aka Droophead) — explores water and reflection, inviting us to look back and imagine forward. This fluid theme flows across everything we do: from visuals to the Gala stage. Read the full interview with Petros below.
Music: Music: Kakijyu, by Polaris 2024 and 2021 Nominee e TEKE::TEKE from the album Hagata (2023 Kill Rock Stars)
