The race for Canada’s most prestigious music prize is officially underway.
The Polaris Music Prize has unveiled its 10-album shortlist for 2026, with this year’s winner set to be crowned at Toronto’s Massey Hall on Sept. 22.
Presented annually to the Canadian album judged to have the greatest artistic merit, the Polaris Music Prize awards $30,000, courtesy of the Slaight Family Foundation.
Up for the $30,000 cash prize, courtesy of Toronto’s Slaight Family Foundation are Angine de Poitrine’s album Vol. II, Aquakultre’s 1783; Begonia’s Fantasy Life; Bibi Club’s Amaro; Charlotte Cornfield’s Hurts Like Hell; Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s Laughter In Summer; Rochelle Jordan’s Through The Wall; Les Louanges’ Alouette!; Peaches’ No Lube So Rude, and Tanya Tagaq’s Saputjiji.
Hosting the evening is Odario Williams of CBC Music’s Afterdark. Tickets are on sale now on the Massey Hall website. Use the code POLARIS20 for 20% discount.
Unfortunately, the hottest new act to come out of Canada, Angine De Poitrine, won’t be performing. Neither will top draw Peaches and British transplant Rochelle Jordan. However, Toronto band Slash Need will step in on Peaches behalf to interpret No Lube So Rude.
The shortlisted albums are selected from a 40-album long list, voted on by a jury of Canadian music media from across the country, covering all genres. Albums are suggested all year in a private online group, which are discussed, debated and lauded until voting time. The criteria is solely based on artistic merit.
In previous years, a grand jury was selected from the jury pool but this year, for the first time, all jurors will vote for the best album. There are currently a series of private grand jury presentations and debate sessions to help with the decision.
Of the 10 albums on the 2026 shortlist, this is the first time Angine de Poitrine, Aquakultre, Charlotte Cornfield, Rochelle Jordan, Peaches and Beverly Glenn-Copeland have made the list, although Peaches’ 2000 album The Teaches Of Peaches and Glenn-Copeland’s 1986 album Keyboard Fantasies received Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize honouring pre-Polaris releases.
Begonia (2023), Bibi Club (2025) and Les Lounages (2019) all made the short list before, while Tagaq won the Polaris Prize in 2014 for the album Animism and was on Short List in 2017.
CBC’s Williams will also host a weekly look at an album on the short list, each Sunday on CBC Music and CBC Listen at 6 p.m. (6:30 NT) starting July 19 and running until Sept. 13. The Ten will feature a discussion with music writers and Polaris jurors from across the country.
Below is the schedule:
Sunday, July 19 – The Ten: Begonia
Sunday, July 26 – The Ten: Tanya Tagaq
Sunday, August 2 – The Ten: Les Louanges
Sunday, August 9 – The Ten: Rochelle Jordan
Sunday, August 16 – The Ten: Angine de Poitrine
Sunday, August 23 – The Ten: Beverly Glenn-Copeland & Elizabeth Copeland
Sunday, August 30 – The Ten: Charlotte Cornfield
Sunday, September 6 – The Ten: Peaches
Sunday, September 13 – The Ten: Bibi Club
Sunday, September 20 – The Ten: Aquakultre
Past Polaris Music Prize winners are Yves Jarvis (2025), Jeremy Dutcher (2024), Debby Friday (2023), Pierre Kwenders (2022), Cadence Weapon (2021), Backxwash (2020), Haviah Mighty (2019), Jeremy Dutcher (2018), Lido Pimienta (2017), Kaytranada (2016), 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).
