Yves Jarvis And Mustafa Win 2025 Polaris Music Prize Album And Song Honours
Yves Jarvis’ All Cylinders has won the 2025 Polaris Music Prize for best Canadian album, and Mustafa has won the first-ever SOCAN Polaris Song Prize for “Gaza Is Calling.”
The two Prizes, which were presented by CBC, were handed out to cap off the 2025 Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony on September 16 at Massey Hall in Toronto. Polaris honours the best Canadian music of the year based on artistic merit without regard to genre, sales history or label affiliation.
Yves Jarvis’ victory came with a $30,000 monetary reward courtesy of the Slaight Family Foundation. Mustafa receives $10,000 courtesy of SOCAN.
The 2025 Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony was broadcast live worldwide across CBC Music’s YouTube channel and CBC Gem. Individual performance videos, standout moments, and winner reveals will be available at cbcmusic.ca/polaris. There will be three opportunities to listen to highlights from the Gala on CBC Music Live via CBC Radio One and CBC Listen:
Friday September 19 at 2 p.m. local time on CBC Radio and CBC Listen
Monday September 22 at 6 p.m. local time on CBC Music and CBC Listen
Tuesday September 23 at 11 p.m. local time on CBC Radio and CBC Listen.
The Polaris Album Prize was determined by a Grand Jury of 11 music media professionals drawn from the greater Polaris jury pool of 205 music media jurors from across the country. This included Patrick Bateman (SiriusXM Canada), Erin Bond (CHSR), Sydney Brasil (Exclaim), Alain Brunet (Pan M 360), Jamaias DaCosta (Deejay Jams), Yara El-Soueidi (Amazon Music Canada), Simon Fournier (Freelance), Amber Goodwyn (Freelance), Peter Hemminger (CJSW), Donald Teplyske (Fervor Coulee/CJSR) and Daniel G. Wilson (New Feeling). The SOCAN Polaris Song Prize was voted on by the entire Polaris jury pool.
The 2025 Polaris Music Prize Album Short List, powered by FACTOR, was:
Bibi Club – Feu de garde
Lou-Adriane Cassidy – Journal d’un Loup-Garou
Marie Davidson – City Of Clowns
Saya Gray – SAYA
Yves Jarvis – All Cylinders
Mustafa – Dunya
Nemahsis – Verbathim
The OBGMs – SORRY, IT’S OVER
Population II – Maintenant Jamais
Ribbon Skirt – Bite Down
The 2025 SOCAN Polaris Song Prize Short List was:
* Lou-Adriane Cassidy — “Dis-moi dis-moi dis-moi,” written by Lou-Adriane Cassidy and Alexandre Martel
* Saya Gray — “SHELL (OF A MAN),” written by Saya Gray and John Mavro
* Yves Jarvis — “Gold Filigree,” written by Yves Jarvis
* Mustafa — “Gaza is Calling,” written by Mustafa Ahmed, Emmanuel Hailemariam, Simon Hessman and Nicolas Jaar
* Ribbon Skirt — “Wrong Planet,” written by Tashiina Buswa and Billy Riley
The Album and Song Prize wins topped a reimagined Polaris Concert event for the charitable organization. The show, which was hosted by 2019 Polaris winner Haviah Mighty featured performances from Album Short List nominees Bibi Club, Lou-Adrienne Cassidy, Marie Davidson, Saya Gray, Yves Jarvis, Nemahsis, The OBGMs, Population II, and Ribbon Skirt. 2021 Album winner Cadence Weapon, and two-time nominee Kelly McMichael were among the presenters for the evening. The evening also featured the designation of two new hall of fame Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize albums — The Organ’s Grab That Gun via public vote, and Jane Siberry’s The Speckless Sky via Heritage Prize jury vote.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Polaris announced a number of new initiatives in 2025. In addition to the creation of the brand new SOCAN Polaris Song Prize category, the organization also launched the Polaris Festival, with more than 15 music-themed events taking place throughout September, the launch of the new Polaris Submission Portal that will allow musicians across Canada to submit music directly to the Polaris jury for the first time, and a timing shift away from late-Fall into Summer for the Heritage Prize voting campaign, which allowed those awards to be honoured for the first time from the Polaris Concert stage.
POLARIS ALBUM PRIZE WINNERS
The 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).
2025 POLARIS MUSIC PRIZE KEY DATES
June 10 – Album Long List presented by the Canada Council for the Arts. Polaris reveals the 40 nominees for the year’s Album Prize.
June 24 – SOCAN Song Prize Long List. Polaris reveals the 20 nominees for the year’s Song Prize.
July 10 – Album Short List presented by FACTOR. Polaris reveals the 10 finalist nominees for the year’s Album Prize.
July 29 – SOCAN Song Prize Short List. Polaris reveals the 5 finalist nominees for the year’s Song Prize.
August 5 – The Slaight Family Heritage Prize Short List. Polaris reveals the 12 nominee albums for the Slaight Family Heritage Prize and opens its related public voting campaign.
September 16 – Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony is powered by FACTOR. Our prestigious winner reveal event, this concert features performances by nominated acts as well as the announcement of the year’s Album Prize, Song Prize and Heritage Prize honourees.
CBC presents the 2025 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.
