The 2024 Polaris Music Prize Short List Is Here
The 10 albums nominated for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize Short List
The Polaris Music Prize, presented by CBC Music, has unveiled the 10 albums on its 2024 Short List and revealed who will be performing at this year’s Polaris Gala at Massey Hall on September 17.
Tickets for the Polaris Gala at the iconic Massey Hall are available now!
The 2024 Polaris Music Prize Short List is:
BAMBII — INFINITY CLUB
The Beaches — Blame My Ex
Charlotte Cardin — 99 Nights
DijahSB — The Flower That Knew
Jeremy Dutcher — Motewolonuwok
Elisapie — Inuktitut
Cindy Lee — Diamond Jubilee
NOBRO — Set Your Pussy Free
Allison Russell — The Returner
TOBi — Panic
Polaris has confirmed the following acts will take the stage at this year’s marquee winner reveal event (subject to change): Charlotte Cardin, Jeremy Dutcher, BAMBII, Elisapie, DijahSB, NOBRO, TOBi and a special performance by The Beaches lead vocalist Jordan Miller and The Thunder Queens. Polaris will be transforming the legendary 130-year-old Massey Hall with the goal of celebrating exceptional Canadian music and the artists who create it.
This is the first Short List nomination for BAMBII, The Beaches, Charlotte Cardin, Cindy Lee, NOBRO and Allison Russell. Elisapie previously made the Short List in 2019, while TOBi and DijahSB previously made the Short List in 2021. Dutcher won the Polaris Prize in 2018 for the album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. One of the Short List albums will win the 2024 Polaris Prize of $50,000, thanks to the Slaight Family Foundation.
The Short List was selected from albums that made the 40 album Polaris Long List, which was revealed on June 11 and determined thanks to the thoughtfulness, dedication and scrutiny from the 207 member Polaris jury. The nominated albums were revealed during the Polaris Prize Short List Special, which broadcast nationwide earlier today across Canada on CBC Music and CBC Listen. Hosted by Damhnait Doyle, the special featured music from the Short List nominees as well as in-depth interviews with CBC personalities and Polaris jurors.
“The 2024 Polaris Music Prize Short List is a portal to the incredible skill, talent, and creativity that defines Canadian music. Each year, our Short List comes to life thanks to the unwavering dedication and hard work of our jury members from coast to coast to coast. In a time when artists go to great lengths to create boundary-pushing projects, this spectacular collection of records deserves your time, attention, and open-hearted listening,” said Melissa Vincent, Polaris jury foreperson.
With the reveal of the 10 nominated albums, CBC Music is kicking off Short List Summer: a sprawling, season-long deep dive into the nominated records and the artists who made them. Short List Summer will be anchored by CBC Music’s THE TEN, a series of one-hour weekly radio specials hosted by Odario Williams, broadcasting each Sunday on CBC Music and CBC Listen at 6 p.m. (6:30 NT) starting Sunday, July 14, until Sunday, September 15. Each week THE TEN will host a conversation about each of the 10 nominated albums with music writers and Polaris jurors from around the country, along with an album listening session.
Short List Summer will also include Shortlist Shortcuts, a cbcmusic.ca editorial series beginning Monday, July 15, that will give readers an overview every week, breaking down all the important information you need to know about each nominated album. This will be accompanied by a weekly graphic series that delves into each nominated album, shared to CBC Music’s Instagram page. Follow CBC Music on Instagram for the full series.
THE TEN Broadcast Schedule:
Each special broadcasts at 6 p.m. local time (6:30 NT) on CBC Music and CBC Listen
Sunday, July 14 – The Ten: The Beaches
Sunday, July 21 – The Ten: DijahSB
Sunday, July 28 – The Ten: Elisapie
Sunday, August 4 – The Ten: Cindy Lee
Sunday, August 11 – The Ten: BAMBII
Sunday, August 18 – The Ten: Charlotte Cardin
Sunday, August 25 – The Ten: NOBRO
Sunday, September 3 – The Ten: Jeremy Dutcher
Sunday, September 8 – The Ten: TOBi
Sunday, September 15 – The Ten: Allison Russell
The Polaris Music Prize awards $50,000 courtesy of Slaight Family Foundation, going to the artist who creates the Canadian Album of the Year, judged solely on artistic merit, without consideration for genre or record sales.
ALBUM ELIGIBILITY
Albums eligible for 2024 Polaris Music Prize consideration must be released between April 1, 2023 and May 1, 2024. An independent jury of musical selectors from across Canada and the adjoining unceded Indigenous lands determines the Long List and Short List. Eleven people from the larger jury pool are then chosen to serve on the Grand Jury. This Grand Jury then convenes to select the Polaris Music Prize winner.
POLARIS WINNERS
The past winners are Debby Friday (2023), Pierre Kwenders (2022), Cadence Weapon (2021), Backxwash (2020), Haviah Mighty (2019), Jeremy Dutcher (2018), Lido Pimienta (2017), Kaytranada (2016), Buffy Sainte-Marie (2015), 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).
POLARIS MUSIC PRIZE 2024 EVENT SEASON
June 11 – Long List Announcement: The Long List is where Polaris reveals the 40 nominated albums that will be considered for a given year’s Prize.
July 11 – Short List Announcement: Selected from the 40 album Long List, the Short List is where Polaris reveals the 10 finalist albums that will be considered for a given year’s Prize.
September 17 – Polaris Gala: Our prestige winner reveal event, the Polaris Gala features live musical performances from the nominated acts on the Polaris Short List. The Polaris Prize winner is determined by an 11-member Polaris Grand Jury selected from the greater Polaris juror pool.
October 2024 – Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize: The Heritage Prize is a hall of fame-minded critics prize/public polling campaign meant to celebrate classic Canadian albums created before Polaris began in 2006. Like the Polaris Music Prize, winners and nominees of the Heritage Prize are albums of the highest artistic distinction, without regard to sales or affiliations.
We acknowledge the financial support of FACTOR, the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters.
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