Toronto’s Massey Hall filled up with a distinctively well dressed crowd to celebrate Canadian music as represented by the Polaris Music Prize shortlisted acts, who performed at the September 16 gala, and the ultimate prize winners.
The Polaris Music Prize and Song Prize are awarded by a jury of almost 200 music writers and experts (of which I am one), who recommend albums based purely on artistic merit — without considering sales or other details.
Montréal experimental musician, singer-songwriter and producer Yves Jarvis took home the 2025 Polaris Music Prize for his album All Cylinders. It was the third Polaris Short List appearance for the guitarist whose music defies easy categorization.
His dynamic performance at Tuesday’s event showcased his blend of jazz, funk, classically-informed prog rock elements and psychedelica with a virtuosic delivery, and unusual inclusion of a wind instrument.
“I was just honoured just to be nominated at all,” said Jarvis as he accepted the Prize, which comes with a $30,000 CAD award. “I’m shocked,” he added. He recounted how he’d recorded most of the album in his parents’ spare room. His parents’ home is where he got his start.
Jarvis, aka Jean-Sébastien Yves Audet, was born in Québec, but grew up largely in Calgary. That’s where he got his start in music as a teen, releasing music from his bedroom under the names Un Blonde and Faux Fur. After graduating from high school, he headed for Montréal, where he’s now based.
Yves is also a model for DIY musician ingenuity. On the All Cylinders album, he plays all the instruments himself, and used Audacity, free online digital audio workstation software, to create most of the tracks.
Also on the Short List were
This year was the inaugural award for the Polaris Song Prize, which was launched in partnership with SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) to celebrate the 20th edition of the Polaris Music Prize.
That award went to folk singer-songwriter Mustafa for his track Gaza Is Calling. The Prize, which was accepted by previous Polaris winner Cadence Weapon on Mustafa’s behalf comes with $10,000 CAD, which the songwriter will split with his co-writers Emmanuel Hailemariam, Simon Hessman and Nicolas Jaar.
Mustafa , aka Mustafa Ahmed, is a Toronto-born Sudanese Canadian poet, singer-songwriter, and filmmaker. Dunya is his debut full-length album. His EP When Smoke Rises won a JUNO Award in 2022
The Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize is given to two artists. The Heritage Prize is awarded to albums that were released before the Polaris Music Prize was launched back in 2006, and is meant as a hall-of-fame recognition. One of the prizes is given according to a public vote, while the other is awarded by a special Heritage Prize jury.
Rock band The Organ, an all-woman ensemble based in Vancouver, was the choice of the public vote for their 2004 album Grab That Gun, incidentally the band’s only full-length album. The indie rockers were popular on Canadian campus radio stations.
Toronto-based electronica, experimental, folk, pop, rock songwriter Jane Siberry was the jury’s choice for her 1985 album The Speckless Sky. It was Siberry’s third, and included the single “One More Colour”, which has since been covered by The Rheostatics, and was used in the film The Sweet Hereafter.
The Organ’s Katie Sketch says in a statement, “Winning the Polaris for Grab The Gun is a wonderful surprise. […] We are deeply grateful to everyone who continues to listen, and to those who stood with us in a time when queerness was ridiculed and shamed. We also acknowledge that the landscape remains hostile towards trans people and we urge Canadians to protect our most vulnerable. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
Jane Siberry comments on The Speckless Sky
“Forty years later, I still feel like a baby musician, still inching towards my prime. […] I am grateful to be a musician, sweating a privilege to be a musician and possibly of service. Thank you to everyone, whoever you are, whatever you are doing. May whatever lights you up be your compass. Helping each other remember our original beauty, innocence and joy. Joy to musicians world-wide.”
The other albums nominated for Heritage Prize consideration for 2025 were:
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees. One day, orchestral music lovers, one day…
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