Polaris Music Prize Update

05/25/09 2:16pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

The 2009 Polaris Music Prize will be handed out at a Sept. 21 gala at a Toronto location that has yet to be announced.

The long list of 40 contending titles will be revealed on June 15, while the short list of 10 final nominees will be announced at a July 7 press conference at Toronto's Drake Hotel.

The long list was revealed for the first time last year.

SIRIUS Satellite Radio Canada will be the presenting sponsor for the Polaris Music Prize of $20,000, which will be awarded to the Canadian artist who creates what's judged to be the year's best album.

Discs released between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009 are eligible for this year's prize. The winner is judged based on artistic merit, not sales.

The long list and short list are determined by a jury of 190 Canadian music journalists, bloggers and broadcasters. Eleven jury members will be selected to vote on the grand jury, which convenes the night of the gala to determine the winner.

Caribou's Andorra won last year's Polaris Music Prize. Final Fantasy's He Poos Clouds won the inaugural prize in 2006, and Patrick Watson's Close To Paradise won in 2007.