Broken Social Scene, New Pornographers, Tegan and Sara Included on Polaris Prize Long List

The first round of nominees for Canada’s Polaris Music Prize have been announced. It includes the likes of Broken Social Scene, The New Pornographers, Tegan and Sara and Yukon Blonde, to name a few.

Every year, a jury of nearly 200 Canadian music journalists, broadcasters, bloggers and the like give the Polaris award to the Canadian musical act who has released what they determine to be the best independent album of the year. Winners (who, in the past, have included acts like Final Fantasy and Patrick Watson) are chosen “without regard to musical genre, professional affiliation, or sales history,” according to the non-profit organization’s website. They go home with $20,000.

The 40-act long list will be followed by a 10-act short list on July 6, and the winner is set to be announced September 20 at the Polaris Gala in Toronto. SIRIUS subscribers can listen in on CBC Radio 3.

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