WHITEHORSE, YT – Wednesday, June 15, 2016.
The Polaris Music Prize, presented by CBC Music and produced by Blue Ant Media, revealed its 2016 Long List this afternoon in Whitehorse, Yukon. The event was supported by the Yukon Film and Sound Commission and took place at the Yukon Transportation Museum. Jury Foreperson and CBC Calgary’s Katherine Duncan hosted the announcement. On hand to announce the 40-title list were The Honourable Stacey Hassard (Yukon Economic Development Minister), Ben Rayner (Toronto Star), Sandra Sperounes (Postmedia’s Edmonton Journal) and Teslin, Yukon performing artist Melaina Sheldon. The event included a performance by 2016 Long List nominee, Jean-Michel Blais. The announcement was streamed live on the Polaris Facebook page.
CBC Radio 2 will feature a special hour-long broadcast celebrating the Polaris Music Prize Long List on Drive with Peter Morey at 6 p.m. (6:30 p.m. NT). Local CBC Radio 2 frequencies can be found at cbc.ca/frequency or the broadcast can be streamed online at cbcmusic.ca.
Polaris also produced a Yukon-focused artists’ event with support from Government of Yukon’s Department of Economic Development. This event, held last night at The Town Hall in the Gold Rush Inn, included a panel discussion, demo listening and one-on-one meetings with Polaris jurors and local Yukon artists.
In total, 183 titles made the first ballots of the 192 member jury.
2016 Polaris Music Prize Long List:
Art Bergmann – The Apostate
Justin Bieber – Purpose
Black Mountain – IV
Jean-Michel Blais – II
Basia Bulat – Good Advice
Daniel Caesar – Pilgrim’s Paradise
Tanika Charles – Soul Run
City and Colour – If I Should Go Before You
Cœur de pirate – Roses
Dead Obies – Gesamtkunstwerk
Destroyer – Poison Season
Dilly Dally – Sore
Drake – VIEWS
Essaie pas – Demain est une autre nuit
Fred Fortin – Ultramarr
FOXTROTT – A Taller Us
Grimes – Art Angels
Half Moon Run – Sun Leads Me On
Veda Hille – Love Waves
Jazz Cartier – Hotel Paranoia
Carly Rae Jepsen – E•MO•TION
Junior Boys – Big Black Coat
Kaytranada – 99.9%
Jessy Lanza – Oh No
Majid Jordan – Majid Jordan
Michelle McAdorey – Into Her Future
Nap Eyes – Thought Rock Fish Scale
Safia Nolin – Limoilou
Operators – Blue Wave
Peaches – Rub
PUP – The Dream Is Over
Daniel Romano – Mosey
Andy Shauf – The Party
The Strumbellas – Hope
Suuns – Hold/Still
U.S. Girls – Half Free
Un Blonde – Good Will Come To You
The Weeknd – Beauty Behind the Madness
White Lung – Paradise
Donovan Woods – Hard Settle, Ain’t Troubled
The Short List will be unveiled on July 14th at The Carlu in Toronto and the Polaris Music Prize Gala will return to The Carlu on Monday, September 19th. CBC Music and AUX.tv will stream the gala live.
The eligibility period for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize runs from June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016. An independent jury of music journalists, broadcasters and music bloggers from across Canada determines the Long List and Short List. Eleven people are selected from the larger jury pool to serve on the Grand Jury and they will convene the night of the gala to select the Polaris Music Prize winner.
The Polaris Music Prize will award $50,000 to the artist who creates the Canadian Album of the Year. Each of the nine other short listed artists will receive $3,000 courtesy of Slaight Music. Judged solely on artistic merit, without consideration of genre or record sales, the prize’s past winners are 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).
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters.
We acknowledge the OMDC for their continued support of the Polaris Music Prize.
Polaris Music Prize 2016 Key Dates:
July 14th – Short List announcement – The Carlu. Toronto, Ontario
September 19th – Polaris Music Prize Gala – The Carlu. Toronto, Ontario
About the Polaris Music Prize
Polaris Music Prize, produced by Blue Ant Media, is a not-for-profit organization that annually honours, celebrates and rewards creativity and diversity in Canadian recorded music. Polaris Music Prize recognizes and then markets the albums of the highest artistic integrity, without regard for musical genre, professional affiliation or sales history, as judged by a panel of selected music critics. Polarismusicprize.ca
About Blue Ant Media
Blue Ant Media is a privately held international media company that owns and operates 10 media brands including Cottage Life, Love Nature, Smithsonian Channel Canada and Makeful. Blue Ant Media creates and distributes content worldwide ranging from nature to DIY, outdoor living to music, engaging fans across television, digital, magazines and live events. The company also owns Omnia Media, a YouTube network and Choice TV, a broadcast channel in New Zealand. Blue Ant Media is based in Toronto and has offices in Los Angeles, London (UK) and Auckland.Blueantmedia.ca
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