Polaris Music Prize announces long list, and it’s 25 per cent Torontonian

Earlier today, the Polaris Music Prize announced its long list of the 40 Canadian bands and musicians eligible to win this year’s award. Over the past six years, the Polaris Prize has honoured Canadian artists with a monetary prize (to the tune of $30,000) for creating the album of the year, based solely on artistic merit. This year’s list boasts 10 Toronto-born and/or -based nominees, which means this city’s musicians represent 25 per cent of the list. Sadly, that makes Toronto less worthy than in 2011, when the list was 30 per cent Torontonian.

Toronto nominees include:

• Azari and III: Azari and III
• Bahamas: Barchords
• Drake: Take Care
• Feist: Metals
• Fucked Up: David Comes to Life
• Great Lake Swimmers: New Wild Everywhere
• Lindi Ortega: Little Red Boots
• Sandro Perri: Impossible Spaces
• Yamantaka // Sonic Titan: YT//ST
• The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence

See the full list on the Polaris website. The short list (whittled down to 10 artists) will be announced on July 17 at the Drake Hotel, with the grand prize to be awarded September 24.