What's New?: Polaris Music Prize Shortlist
Instead of our usual new release round up, we wanted to do a quick overview of the recently announced Polaris Music Prize shortlist.
I’ve had the privilege of being on the Polaris jury since the inception of the award. I was super excited to be on the grand jury, and see all the behind-the-scenes workings, in 2013. When choosing a winner for the $50,000 grand prize, the emphasis is on quality. What is the best album of the year, regardless of sales and other factors? That’s one reason it’s amazing to see the remarkable diversity of this year’s short list. In a time when it might be prudent to be “inclusive,” we have a list of the nation’s top 10 albums that is diverse on its own, not because of inclusivity mandates.
Want to know who made the list, and what they sound like? Here’s the short list in full, with links for each.