Polaris Music Prize Short List: Here are the 10 artists nominated for best Canadian album of the year

Feist, Daniel Caesar, The Sadies and Alvvays are among the 10 artists on the short list of the 2023 Polaris Music Prize.

The $50,000 Polaris Prize recognizes the best Canadian album of the year, judged solely on artistic merit, without consideration of genre or record sales. The winner will be crowned at the Polaris Gala on Sept. 19 at Massey Hall.

Other nominees for this year’s short list include Aysanabee, Begonia, Debby Friday, Gayance, Dan Mangan and Snotty Nose Rez Kids.

“This year’s 2023 Short List highlights the impressive and ever-evolving dynamism of Canadian music from artists at all stages of their career,” said Melissa Vincent, Polaris jury foreperson, in a statement. “In an age where our attention has become a valuable commodity, these 10 records are deserving of a deep, slow listen. We invite you to sink your teeth in.”

Last year, Montreal-based artist Pierre Kwenders won for his album “José Louis and the Paradox of Love.” In 2021, Edmonton-born, Toronto-based rapper Cadence Weapon won the prize for his album “Parallel World.”

Here’s a closer look at the 2023 nominees.

Alvvays: Blue Rev

Originally from Charlottetown, the power pop indie band’s third album arrived last October to near universal acclaim (Pitchfork named “Belinda Says” the best song of 2022). This is the third time time Alvvays have been shortlisted for the Polaris.

Aysanabee: Watin

An Oji-Cree singer-songwriter from Sandy Lake First Nation, Aysanabee (born Evan Pang) released his moving and highly personal debut album last November. “Watin,” which features several spoken interludes from Pang’s grandfather, earned Aysanabee a nomination for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year at the 2023 Juno Awards. This is his first Polaris nomination.

Begonia: Powder Blue

Begonia is the stage name for Winnipeg-based singer-songwriter and pop artist Alexa Dirks, whose third album “Power Blue” arrived last February. Dirks was formerly a member of the Juno Award-winning band Chic Gamine. This is her first time on the Polaris short list.

Daniel Caesar: Never Enough

The Scarborough-born, Oshawa-raised R&B/soul singer became an international star in 2021 after his appearance on the Justin Bieber hit “Peaches.” But the 28-year-old has been a mainstay in the local Toronto scene since 2017’s “Freudian,” which was also nominated for the Polaris short list. “Never Enough,” which dropped in April, features appearances from Ty Dolla $ign, serpentwithfeet, Omar Apollo and Mustafa. This is his second short list appearance.

Debby Friday: Good Luck

In March, the Nigerian-born, Toronto-based electronic artist Debby Good released her debut studio album, a high-octane blend of industrial rock, pop, techno and drill music. This is Friday’s first short list appearance.

Feist: Multitudes

Singer-songwriter Leslie Feist is no stranger to the Polaris Music Prize — she won the award in 2012 for “Metals” and has made the short list four times. Her sixth studio album “Multitudes,” which arrived in April, is an intimate folk record that explores themes surrounding the birth of her adopted daughter and the death of her father.

Gayance: Masquerade

Gayance is the stage name of Aïsha Vertus, a Montreal-born Haitian-Canadian whose music fuses elements of jazz, house, electronic and Brazilian dance music. Masquerade is her debut album; this is her first time on the Polaris short list.

Dan Mangan: Being Somewhere

Vancouver indie folk singer Dan Mangan released his seventh studio album “Being Somewhere” last October. This is Mangan’s second time on the Polaris short list.

The Sadies: Colder Streams

The 11th studio album from the beloved Toronto country rock outfit was the final LP recorded before the death of founding member Dallas Good in February of last year (Good died of natural causes at age 48). This is the second time The Sadies have been on the Polaris short list, though they’ve made the long list five times.

Snotty Nose Rez Kids: I’m Good, HBU?

Snotty Nose Rez Kids is a duo of Haisla rappers Darren “Young D” Metz and Quinton “Yung Trybez” Nyce from Kitamaat Village, British Columbia. Their fifth album “I’m Good, HBU?” arrived last December. This is the group’s fourth time on the Polaris short list.

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