The Polaris Music Prize has unveiled its 10-nominee album short list for 2026.
After announcing the 40-album long list at this year’s NXNE, the short list was voted on by a 205-person voting pool of music critics, journalists, academics, broadcasters and curators. The albums are based solely on artistic merit, without consideration for genre or record sales.
Powered by FACTOR, the winner of the Polaris Music Prize will receive $30,000, revealed at the concert and award ceremony at Massey Hall on Sept. 22 — the fourth year that Polaris has taken over the iconic Toronto venue.
Here is this year's short list:
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Angine de Poitrine - Vol. II
Aquakultre - 1783
Begonia - Fantasy Life
Bibi Club - Amaro
Charlotte Cornfield - Hurts Like Hell
Beverly Glenn-Copeland - Laughter In Summer
Rochelle Jordan - Through The Wall
Les Louanges - Alouette!
Peaches - No Lube So Rude
Tanya Tagaq - Saputjiji
For the first time, this year’s winning album will be selected by the full jury voting pool, following a series of presentations and debate sessions. It’s a major change from the 11-person grand jury that had previously decided each winner.
“The Polaris Music Prize celebrates the best in Canadian storytelling through music and the short list this year once again represents the depth of boundary-pushing talent shaping our Canadian cultural landscape," says Meg Symsyk, president & CEO of FACTOR.
This year's short list marks first-time nominations for Angine de Poitrine, Aquakultre, Charlotte Cornfield and Rochelle Jordan. Notably, Angine de Poitrine is on a hot streak, following their viral KEXP performance in February. Since then, the buzzy Quebec math rock duo has drawn massive festival crowds, hit the charts in multiple countries and amassed blockbuster CD and vinyl releases for their two recent albums, including Vol. II. It's not a far stretch to consider them the frontrunner, but the Polaris Prize is always unpredictable.
Meanwhile, Peaches and Beverly Glenn-Copeland, both artists with a long legacy and influence in Canadian music, are first-time nominees for the album prize, but it’s not the first time the organization has acknowledged them. Peaches’ The Teaches of Peaches (2000) and Glenn-Copeland’s Keyboard Fantasies (1986) have received the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, designed for albums released before the organization was introduced in 2006.
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Les Louanges, BegoniaandBibi Club made the short list in 2019, 2023 and 2025, respectively. Meanwhile, Tagaq’s Animism won in 2014 while Retribution made the short list in 2017.
Of the 10 nominees, seven will be performing, including Aquakultre, Begonia, Bibi Club, Cornfield, Glenn-Copeland, Les Louanges and Tagaq. An interpretation of Peaches' No Lube So Rude will be performed by Canadian industrial-electropunk group Slash Need.
In addition to the winning album, the second-ever SOCAN Polaris Song Prize and Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize winners will be crowned during the Sept. 22 ceremony, hosted by musician and broadcaster Odario Williams.
Tickets are on sale now. Polaris is offering 15% off tickets with the code POLARIS15.
