The Polaris Music Prize is a Canadian charitable arts organization that honours and rewards the most artistically significant albums of the year—regardless of genre, sales, or popularity.
Each year, our jury of over 200 music critics—including writers, broadcasters, bloggers, curators, and programmers from across Canada and adjoining unceded Indigenous lands—selects the 40-album Long List, the 10-album Short List, and ultimately, the Polaris Prize winner.
The Polaris Music Prize Album Short List presented by FACTOR, revealing the 10 finalist albums for this year’s Prize, will be unveiled on July 10, 2025. The Polaris Music Prize awards a cash prize courtesy of our partners at Slaight Family Foundation, awarded to the artist who creates the Canadian Album of the Year. The announcement will also include the lineup of Short List artists who will take the stage at the Polaris Concert & Award Show on September 16, 2025 at the iconic Massey Hall. Tickets on sale now here.
CBC presents the 2025 Polaris Music Prize. This year’s Short List is presented by FACTOR. This project is funded in part 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.