Polaris Prize Long List Announced

The 2015 Polaris Music Prize Long List has been announced, and musicians like mainstay Drake along with Alvvays and .Buffy Sainte-Marie are vying for the coveted prize.

The 40 Long List albums were recently revealed at The Carleton in Halifax and, in total, 197 titles made the first ballots of the 196-member jury. Here is a complete list of finalists:

Absolutely Free – Absolutely Free

The Acorn – Vieux Loup

Lydia Ainsworth – Right from Real

Alvvays – Alvvays

Arkells – High Noon

Rich Aucoin – Ephemeral

BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah – Sour Soul

Bahamas – Bahamas Is Afie

The Barr Brothers – Sleeping Operator

Braids – Deep In The Iris

Steph Cameron – Sad-Eyed Lonesome Lady

Caribou – Our Love

Jazz Cartier – Marauding In Paradise

Jennifer Castle – Pink City

Cold Specks – Neuroplasticity

Louis-Jean Cormier – Les grandes artères

Death From Above 1979 – The Physical World

Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

Frazey Ford – Indian Ocean

Tobias Jesso Jr. – Goon

BA Johnston – Shit Sucks

Pierre Kwenders – Le dernier empereur Bantou

Lee Harvey Osmond – Beautiful Scars

Jean Leloup – À Paradis City

METZ – II

Milk & Bone – Little Mourning

Tre Mission – Stigmata

The New Pornographers – Brill Bruisers

Joel Plaskett – The Park Avenue Sobriety Test

Buffy Sainte-Marie – Power in The Blood

Elizabeth Shepherd – The Signal

Siskiyou – Nervous

Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld – Never were the way she was

Various Artists – Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, And Country 1966–1985

Viet Cong – Viet Cong

Patrick Watson – Love Songs For Robots

The Weather Station – Loyalty

White Lung – Deep Fantasy

Whitehorse – Leave No Bridge Unburned

Young Guv – Ripe 4 Luv

This year’s Long List features 18 returning and 22 new nominees, although four of the new Polaris people have been nominated for previous projects: Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld for his solo albums and her work with Arcade Fire respectively, Young Guv’s Ben Cook was previously nominated with Fucked Up, members of Viet Cong were previously nominated as Women, and Siskiyou used to play with Great Lake Swimmers.

A number of previous Polaris champions are also represented among the nominees, including Caribou, Patrick Watson, Louis-Jean Cormier (Karkwa), Young Guv (Fucked Up) and Sarah Neufeld (Arcade Fire).

Three separate acts have now been nominated for the Polaris Prize on four separate occasions: Patrick Watson (2007, 2009, 2012, 2015), Joel Plaskett (2007, 2009, 2012, 2015) and The New Pornographers (2006, 2008, 2010, 2015).

Additionally, Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, And Country 1966–1985’s inclusion marks the first time a curated collection of various artists has made the Long List.

The 10 album Short List will be announced on July 16th at The Carlu in Toronto, and the Polaris Gala will be held on September 21st at the same venue.

Photo: Alvvays/Polyvinyl Records

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