Here is the Long List for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize
After months of recommendations, discussion, debating, arguing, and kvetching, the Polaris Music Prize people ended up with a list of more than 200 albums that needed to be considered by the 200+ music Canadian industry wretches (of which I am one). The first round of voting/culling is now complete and those 200-ish albums (233, to be exact) have been narrowed down to the Long List of 40 semi-finalists.
Here are the survivors in alphabetical order.
AHI – Prospect
Arcade Fire – WE
Backxwash – I Lie Here Buried With My Rings And My Dresses
BADBADNOTGOOD – Talk Memory
Jean-Michel Blais – aubades
Basia Bulat – The Garden
Tanika Charles – Papillon de Nuit: The Night Butterfly
Chiiild – Hope For Sale
Destroyer – Labyrinthitis
Julie Doiron – I Thought Of You
The Garrys – Get Thee To A Nunnery
The Halluci Nation – One More Saturday Night
Joyful Joyful – Joyful Joyful
Adria Kain – When Flowers Bloom
Lydia Képinski – Depuis
Pierre Kwenders – José Louis And The Paradox Of Love
Ada Lea – one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden
Lisa Leblanc – Chiac Disco
Hubert Lenoir – PICTURA DE IPSE : Musique directe
Luna Li – Duality
Les Louanges – Crash
LOONY – soft thing
Kelly McMichael – Waves
Men I Trust – Untourable Album
Haviah Mighty – Stock Exchange
myst milano. – Shapeshyfter
Cedric Noel – Hang Time
Ombiigizi – Sewn Back Together
Orville Peck – Bronco
Ouri – Frame of a Fauna
P’tit Belliveau – Un homme et son piano
PUP – THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND
SATE – The Fool
Shad – Tao
Sister Ray – Communion
Snotty Nose Rez Kids – Life After
Stars – From Capelton Hill
Tanya Tagaq – Tongues
The Weeknd – Dawn FM
Charlotte Day Wilson – Alpha
The next round of voting will take place over the next month with the Short List reveal coming on July 14. After that, it’s big Polaris Music Prize Gala on September 19 when a jury of music types will name one winner: the best Canadian album of the last twelve months regardless of genre or commercial success.
The winner will get $50,000 cash. The remaining nine will each receive $3,000.
If you want to review the Long List for yourself, go here.