Polaris Music Prize Announces 2026 Key Dates, Concert & Award Ceremony Returns To Massey Hall On September 22, 2026

The Polaris Music Prize, presented by CBC, has announced the key dates for its 2026 season, including the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony, powered by FACTOR, at Toronto’s Massey Hall on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

Returning to Massey Hall for the fourth consecutive year, the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony will once again feature a genre-spanning, one-night-only lineup. Performers will be announced in July. Tickets are on sale now through the Massey Hall box office, with music fans eligible for 15% off tickets purchased before April 30 using the promo code POLARIS15.

The Polaris Music Prize honours the Canadian album and song of the year, as selected by the Polaris jury based solely on artistic merit, without regard to genre or commercial success. The September 22 event will culminate with the announcement of the winners of the Polaris Album Prize and the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize. In 2026, the Album Prize winner will receive $30,000, generously donated by the Slaight Family Foundation, while the Song Prize winner will receive $10,000 courtesy of SOCAN.

Two new Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize-winning albums will also be announced during the event. The Heritage Prize is a critics-and-public prize that celebrates classic Canadian albums released before Polaris launched in 2006.

Key dates in the 2026 Polaris season include:

* Thursday, June 11 – 40 album Long List announced
* Wednesday, June 24 – 20 song Long List announced
* Thursday, July 9 – 10 album Short List announced
* Wednesday, July 29 – 5 song Short List announced
* Wednesday, August 5 – Heritage Prize nominees announced; public voting opens
* Friday, August 21 – Heritage Prize public voting closes
* Tuesday, September 22 – Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony at Massey Hall

The organization also used its key date announcement to unveil its thematic visual identity for the season. Created by the Toronto/Montreal-based aftermodern.lab, the visual language calls on culture, personality, texture, craft, and an intersection of information, space, and layer, creating a rich texture that reflects Canadian identity.

“Through the visual language of fabrics and stitching, we really want this year to be a celebration of Polaris’ diverse community of artists and attendees, its heritage, and the future ahead. We explore this by looking towards techniques derived from industrial and analog textile traditions, such as pattern-making, looms, and sewing machines. Through these ideas, we weave together the many threads of Canada’s identity into a quilt that reflects the spirit of the Polaris community,” said Aiyana Alzamora and Joshua Reginales of aftermodern.lab in a statement.

Polaris will also continue to build on initiatives introduced in 2025, including the return of the Polaris Festival in September, the expansion of its Polaris Community Development Program (CDP), and the continued integration of the Polaris Submission Portal into its services.

“The 2026 Polaris season is designed to showcase the depth, ambition and diversity of Canadian music while continuing to create new ways of championing Polaris artist alumni through new programming,” said Amber Still, Executive Director of the Polaris Music Prize. “We’re excited to build on the momentum of the first Polaris Festival where we welcomed over 11,000 participants to 22 events throughout the month of September.”

Supported by Ontario Creates, the Polaris Festival will feature more than a dozen intimate events — including concerts, salons, listening sessions and workshops — anchored by past Polaris nominees. The full festival schedule will be announced this summer.

The Polaris Community Development Program connects mission-aligned charities, non-profits, events and businesses with Polaris to share resources and support exceptional Canadian music. Now comprising more than 40 members, the CDP network continues to grow and evolve.

Launched in September 2025, the Polaris Submission Portal is a free music submission platform designed to help eligible Canadian musicians share their work with the Polaris jury. More than 300 Canadian artists have used the portal since its launch.

ALBUM & SONG ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for 2026 Polaris Music Prize consideration, music must be released between April 1, 2025, and May 1, 2026. An independent jury of more than 200 music critics and journalists from across Canada determines the Album and Song Long Lists, Short Lists and winners.

POLARIS ALBUM PRIZE WINNERS

Past winners are Yves Jarvis (2025), Jeremy Dutcher (2024), Debby Friday (2023), Pierre Kwenders (2022), Cadence Weapon (2021), Backxwash (2020), Haviah Mighty (2019), Jeremy Dutcher (2018), Lido Pimienta (2017), Kaytranada (2016), 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).

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.