Of the ten nominees who made the Polaris Music prize short list, organizers have confirmed that Ron Sexsmith, Galaxie, Hey Rosetta! Austra, Braids, and Timber Timbre will be performing live at the sixth annual gala on Monday, September 19 in Toronto.
Montreal-based Arcade Fire will not be performing but members of the band will be in the house. Colin Stetson, Destroyer and The Weeknd have sent their regrets; Colin is performing with Bon Iver in L.A. that night.
At the end of the gala, the winner of the prestigious $30,000 Polaris Music Prize will be announced. CBC Radio 3’s Grant Lawrence and MuchMusic’s Damian Abraham are the hosts. You may know Damian from his other job, lead singer for 2009 winners F—-ed Up.
Polaris has also selected the Grand Jury from the 213 member-Polaris jury of music critics and professionals, who will decide this year’s winner that very night – based on artistic integrity – regardless of genre or sales history.
Polaris Prize album finalists
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Austra – Feel It Break
Braids – Native Speaker
Destroyer – Kaputt
Galaxie – Tigre et Diesel
Hey Rosetta! – Seeds
Ron Sexsmith – Long Player Late Bloomer
Colin Steston – New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judge
Timber Timbre – Creep On Creepin ‘On
The Weeknd – House of Balloons