TORONTO (CelebrityAccess) — The Polaris Music Prize, presented by CBC Music, announced the 10 albums which have been shortlisted for 2024 as well as the performer lineup ahead of the annual Polaris Gala at Toronto’s Massey Hall on September 17.
The Short List was selected from among the list of 40 albums who were previously announced for the Polaris ‘long’ list which recognizes Canadian musicians making music of distinction. Nominees were selected by a panel of music critics, who judge and award the Prize without regard to musical genre or commercial popularity.
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
The Short List was selected from among the list of 40 albums who were previously announced for the Polaris ‘long’ list which recognizes Canadian musicians making music of distinction. Nominees were selected by a panel of music critics, who judge and award the Prize without regard to musical genre or commercial popularity.
First timers on the 2024 Short List include BAMBII, The Beaches, Charlotte Cardin, Cindy Lee, NOBRO and Allison Russell. Artists making a Polaris return this year include Elisapie previously made the Short List in 2019 and DijahSB previously made the Short List in 2021, while Dutcher won the Polaris Prize in 2018 for the album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa.
Polaris organizers also revealed that Charlotte Cardin, Jeremy Dutcher, BAMBII, Elisapie, DijahSB, NOBRO, TOBi and The Beaches lead vocalist Jordan Miller and The Thunder Queens are all lined up to perform at the annual Polaris Music Prize Gala when it takes place at Massey Hall in September.
Artists on the Polaris Short List will also be featured in CBC editorial content, including Short List Summer, a weekly series that will do a deep dive into each of the ten albums, and the artists who made it. The series 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 episode will feature a conversation about each of the ten episodes with a panel of music writers and Polaris jurors.
Additionally, each artist will be featured Shortlist Shortcuts, a cbcmusic.ca editorial series beginning Monday, July 15, that will give readers an overview every week, that will provide listeners with key insights about each album.
“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.
