Canada’s prestigious Polaris Music Prize has announced its “long list” of potential nominees for this year’s award, including Carly Rae Jepsen, Grimes, the Weeknd, Kaytranada, and Jessy Lanza. Drake and Basia Bulat each scored their fourth respective Polaris nods (the prolific Drake is on a three-year run of Polaris nominations).
To be eligible for the award, a Canadian artist must have released an album between June 1, 2015 and May 31, 2016. Thus, 2015 records like Art Angels and Beauty Behind the Madness appear alongside recent releases like Views and Oh No. Also on this year’s list: Justin Bieber’s Purpose, PUP’s The Dream Is Over, Junior Boys’ Big Black Coat, and White Lung’s Paradise, among many other worthies.
Polaris will trim the 40 nominees down to a ten-album “short list” on July 14, and a final winner will be announced September 19. Below, check out out the full “long list” in alphabetical order, via the Polaris Music Prize.
Art Bergmann — The Apostate
Justin Bieber — Purpose
Black Mountain — IV
Jean-Michel Blais — II
Basia Bulat — Good Advice
Daniel Caesar — Pilgrim’s Paradise
Tanika Charles — Soul Run
City and Colour — If I Should Go Before You
Coeur de pirate — Roses
Dead Obies — Gesamtkunstwerk
Destroyer — Poison Season
Dilly Dally — Sore
Drake — VIEWS
Essaie pas — Demain est une autre nuit
Fred Fortin — Ultramarr
FOXTROTT — A Taller Us
Grimes — Art Angels
Half Moon Run — Sun Leads Me On
Veda Hille — Love Waves
Jazz Cartier — Hotel Paranoia
Carly Rae Jepsen — E•MO•TION
Junior Boys — Big Black Coat
Kaytranada — 99.9%
Jessy Lanza — Oh No
Majid Jordan — Majid Jordan
Michelle McAdorey — Into Her Future
Nap Eyes — Thought Rock Fish Scale
Safia Nolin — Limoilou
Operators — Blue Wave
Peaches — Rub
PUP — The Dream Is Over
Daniel Romano — Mosey
Andy Shauf — The Party
The Strumbellas — HOPE
Suuns — Hold/Still
U.S. Girls — Half Free
Un Blonde — Good Will Come To You
The Weeknd — Beauty Behind the Madness
White Lung — Paradise
Donovan Woods — Hard Settle, Ain’t Troubled