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Everything You Need To Know About The 2020 Polaris Music Prize Celebration

The 2020 Polaris Music Prize Celebration, presented by CBC Music, takes place Monday, October 19. This special cinematic event will stream live across numerous CBC Music properties and CBC Gem and will feature the live reveal of the 15th-ever Polaris Prize winner.

Here are all the things you need to know about 2020 Polaris Music Prize Celebration:

What are the 10 Short List albums that have a chance to win?

Backxwash – God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It
Caribou – Suddenly
Junia-T – Studio Monk
Kaytranada – Bubba
nêhiyawak – nipiy
Pantayo – Pantayo
Lido Pimienta – Miss Colombia
Jessie Reyez – BEFORE LOVE CAME TO KILL US
U.S. Girls – Heavy Light
Witch Prophet – DNA Activation

What is the 2020 Polaris Music Prize Celebration?

The 2020 Polaris Music Prize Celebration is a special cinematic tribute to the 10 musical acts on the 2020 Polaris Short List.

Due to COVID-19, for the safety and well-being of the Polaris community, Polaris chose to not host a Gala concert and winner event this year. Instead, Polaris invited Canadian filmmakers to create commissioned films inspired by each of the Short List-nominated albums. The Celebration event will mark the first public airing of these films.

How do I watch this event?

Hosted by CBC Music’s Saroja Coelho, the 2020 Polaris Music Prize Celebration will be available in Canada on the free CBC Gem streaming service, CBC Music’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages and around the globe at CBCMusic.ca/Polaris on Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). The 2020 Polaris-winning album will be revealed live at the end of this event by last year’s Polaris winner Haviah Mighty.

Additionally, each of the films will be available to view across CBC Music properties immediately following the conclusion of the Celebration event.

Are there new Polaris Posters this year?

Of course. A 15-year tradition, these specially commissioned posters are inspired by the Short List-nominated albums and are given to each album’s respective artists as gifts. Cost for these posters are $40 + HST each. To see these posters as well as those from previous years, go HERE.

Additionally, Polaris will be presenting Short List-nominated acts and members of the Grand Jury with commemorative enamel “hot air balloon” pins. A limited few of these pins will also be available for purchase at a cost of $10 + HST each.

Did you make another Polaris Cover Sessions vinyl record this year?

We sure did. The Polaris Cover Sessions Vol. 6 seven-inch features Corb Lund covering Gordon Lightfoot’s “Oh, Linda” and Kaia Kater covering Broken Social Scene’s “Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl.” Traditionally we’d give copies of this record, which is sponsored by SiriusXM Canada, to attendees of the Polaris Gala. Instead we’ll find some ways to get these into enthusiasts’ hands in the weeks and months ahead. Watch videos of all our cover sessions HERE.

Will you announce the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize nominees?

Yes, our other award, the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, will launch on Oct. 19, with this year’s nominated albums being revealed during the Celebration broadcast. Proudly supported by Re:Sound, this is our annual “hall of fame” campaign to honour albums of artistic merit made before Polaris existed. This is a public vote campaign where music enthusiasts get to step into the shoes of Polaris jurors and submit votes on the 12 classic Canadian albums up for consideration. Ballots will be available HERE and music fans will be able to vote once per day until the polls close Monday, Nov. 9 at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT.

How can I listen to the nominees?

The expert musical curators at Stingray have created two separate Polaris-themed listening channels in advance of the gala. Download Stingray Music for free and enjoy these English and French playlists featuring all of this year’s nominated albums.

Polaris 2020: Long List Nominees — EN & FR
Polaris 2006-2020: Short List Nominees — EN & FR

Alternately, Short List-themed playlists can be found at Polaris’ curated Apple Music and Spotify pages, as well as at Amazon Music Canada or YouTube Music Canada.

What if I get thirsty from all of this?

Thankfully, the fine non-alcoholic brewers at Partake Brewing have a deal for you.

Partake in encore after encore with the discount code POLARIS10 for 10% off your order of a minimum of a single case of 24 from their online shop. This discount runs from Oct 19-25.

Collective Arts Brewing are also helping people celebrate the Celebration event.

For our Ontario friends, Collective Arts will deliver their beer, cider, gin and cocktails right to your door! Use the promo code “POLARIS2020” at checkout for free shipping anywhere in the province.

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