Polaris Music Prize announces festival in honour of 20th anniversary

The 20th annual Polaris Music Prize concert and awards ceremony will take place on Sept. 16 at Massey Hall, where one of the ten shortlisters vying for the spot of best Canadian album of the year will be announced. To coincide with the milestone anniversary, Polaris has planned a new festival with an entire month of salons, listening parties, exhibitions and shows.

All September long, music lovers can catch a sampling of the 600-plus past Polaris nominees across Toronto (with stops in Hamilton and Belleville, Ont.). Featured artists include five-time short list nominee Shad, 2025 longlister Eliza Niemi and 2022 winner Cadence Weapon. 

WATCH | Last year’s winner, Jeremy Dutcher, performs at the 2024 award ceremony:

The festivities kick off on Sept. 3, with a conversation between multi-instrumentalist Marco Adamovic and four-time shortlisted rapper Clairmont the Second at Hart House Circle. They’ll be diving deep into the world of music production.

From Sept. 8 to 10, a Polaris poster exhibition will take over Cry Baby Gallery, featuring posters inspired by the nominated albums created by Canadian artists and designers over the past 20 years. Niemi will join fellow longlister Sister Ray for a show in Hamilton on Sept. 12, as part of Supercrawl.

The night before the award ceremony, Shad will lead an intimate listening party at Loveless Cafe, playing some of his favourite music.

The month culminates with a special edition of the Royal Ontario Museum’s ROM After Dark on Sept. 26, where Cadence Weapon and 2020 shortlister Junia-T will turn the museum’s Connelly Hall into an all-out dance party. 

This year’s Polaris short list includes Bibi Club, Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Marie Davidson, Mustafa, Nemahsis, the OBGMs, Population II, Ribbon Skirt, Saya Gray and Yves Jarvis. The winner of the new Song Prize, which is an award in partnership with SOCAN going to the best Canadian song of the year, will also be announced at the award ceremony. 

For more information and to buy tickets for the Sept. 16 concert and award ceremony at Massey Hall and the other Polaris Music Prize Festival events, click here.