It's Canada's most prestigious music prize, and it just got a whole lot richer.
When the Polaris Music Prize was first launched in 2006, the purse was $20,000. In 2011, it was increased to $30,000.
This week, Polaris founder and executive director Steve Jordan announced the prize is now being bumped up by more than 50 per cent to $50,000. He also announced the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, a new award that will honour five albums from the five decades before Polaris launched.
Both are the result of contributions from Slaight Music.
"We’re ecstatic that Gary and Derrick from Slaight music have stepped up to help us celebrate our 10th year in a huge way. Although it’s impossible to put a dollar figure on great art, this increase bring us more in line with other major arts awards like the Scotiabank Giller Prize," said Jordan.
"And we are as excited to extend the Polaris conversation to the rich legacy of classic records from Canadian history. We get to officially pose a longtime informal argument: what would be nominated for Polaris before it existed?"
The Polaris Music Prize is awarded for the best full-length album of the year, and is based on artistic merit, with no regard to genre, sales or label. The prize is chosen by a large jury of music journalists, broadcasters, bloggers and programmers from across Canada.
Past Polaris winners include Tanya Tagaq, Caribou, Arcade Fire, Feist and more.
The 2015 Polaris Music Prize long list will be announced in Halifax on June 16. The short list will be unveiled on July 16 at The Carlu in Toronto. The Polaris Prize gala will return to The Carlu on Sept. 21.
Jordan says details, dates and selection process for the Heritage Prize will be revealed in the coming months.
by Jennifer Van Evra via Electronic RSS
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