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Watch the 2024 Gala Concert Performances:
Celebrating the art of music in Canada.
We celebrate music as art—not product.
And we’ve done it for 20 years, across every genre, platform, and province.
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, a jury of music critics made up of writers, broadcasters, bloggers, curators, and programmers from across the country selects the 40-album Long List, 10-album Short List, and one Polaris Prize winner, based on artistic merit alone.
We believe music can move people, shift and reflect culture, and bring us together.
Mission
Polaris is dedicated to celebrating the art of music.
We bring together music lovers, artists and a dynamic jury to discover, discuss and award the best in Canadian music based on artistic merit.
Vision
Through our awards and programs we inspire music fans in Canada and across the world to champion important Canadian music.
Core Purpose
We believe in the value of music as art.
It has the power to transform culture and shape identity.
And in 2025, as we celebrate our 20th season, you’ll see even more ways to support Polaris and the artists we champion. We’re building something that lasts—and you’re a vital part of it.
Why support Polaris now?
In a world where algorithms and ads decide what you hear, Polaris protects music as art—curated by real people– for you, the music-lovers.
We’re more than a prize. We’re a catalyst.
A cultural archive.
A rare space where new voices and legends share the same spotlight—on the same stage.
As a Polaris supporter, you help fuel the radical impact Polaris has on artists and the world around them. Your support helps us:
- Pay fair fees to artists performing at our events
- Deliver national media exposure to 40+ Canadian artists each year
- Keep the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony open and accessible
- Grow our Community Development Program and equity work
- Sustain the kind of career impact artists tell us is life-changing
Want to support Polaris and experience the impact live?
Join us September 16, 2025 at Massey Hall for the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony.
Ten live performances. One life-changing prize.
Tickets on sale now—core ticket fees support Polaris directly.
- Buy your tickets here
- Donate or learn more about your impact
