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
