Yes, the FYI gang is off for the Canada Day weekend and won't be back in your inbox until Wednesday.
By David Farrell
Yes, the FYI gang is off for the Canada Day weekend and won't be back in your inbox until Wednesday, barring major breaking news when we can be counted to ditch our whatevers and tap out a bulletin to keep you in the loop.
So from us to you, enjoy; drive safe, act wisely and have a blast.
DF
Angine de Poitrine
The Quebec math rock aliens are nominated for both the Polaris Album Prize and the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize at this year's ceremony, which takes place at Toronto's Massey Hall on Sept. 22.
Angine de Poitrine's non-stop performance schedule continues.
Fresh off of their U.S. TV debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night (Sept. 14), the Saguenay, Quebec breakouts have been announced as the latest act to perform during the 2026 Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony, which takes place at Toronto's Massey Hall on Sept. 22.
The band were previously announced as nominees for both the Polaris Music Prize with their sophomore album Vol. II and for the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize with "Fabienk," and are considered by many to be critical favourites for both. However, they are a late addition to the show itself as they were not previously announced as performers or attendees.
The Billboard Canada cover stars will play a seven-minute along with many of their fellow Polaris Album Prize nominees, including Begonia, Bibi Club, Charlotte Cornfield and Les Louanges. Their Polaris performance is set to be recorded and later released as part of the CBC Music Presents: Live At Massey Hall series, joining their other iconic live sets including their breakthrough KEXP live performance and their viral appearance on the BBC show Later... with Jools Holland, where they performed in front of Shania Twain.
The Polaris Prize has also announced that Jeremy Dutcher, the classically-trained Indigenous composer and winner of the 2024 Polaris Music Prize, has been invited as a special guest presenter to introduce the polka-dotted pair. If they emerge victorious, they join a list of renowned alumni including Kaytranada, Halvah Mighty, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Feist and many more.
Angine de Poitrine are also competing with Charlotte Cornfield, PUP, Patrick Watson and Martha Wainwright and Charlotte Day Wilson and Saya Gray for the second-ever song prize, a $10,000 prize that will be split between the song's performers and credited songwriters.
One year removed from its 25th anniversary, the Polaris Prize continues to undergo a change of tides, as detailed in a feature story by Billboard Canada. This year's album prize winner will be determined by a 205-person voting pool instead of Polaris' previous 11-person grand jury, a monumental change from having one juror represent each record (plus one neutral juror). This jury setup was first tested last year, the same year in which Polaris introduced its first-ever Song Prize, which was awarded to Mustafa's "Gaza Is Calling." Since 2025, the Polaris Prize has also begun accepting songs for consideration via a submissions portal.
The Polaris Festival is also returning for a second year, bringing a mix of performances, cultural events, panels and more to the city on the dates surrounding the awards ceremony. This year's programming features the hi-fi listening session Dreaming with Caribou on Sept. 29, centred around the 2008 Polaris Prize-winning album Andorra by Caribou, a Collective Study lecture and listening session centred around Canadian rapper K-os' album Joyful Rebellion on Sept. 16 and a community listening party by this year's Album Prize nominee Aquakultre.
![Noel Gallagher [L] and Liam Gallagher of Oasis at the “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger” premiere at The 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 5, 2026 in Venice, Italy.](https://ca.billboard.com/media-library/noel-gallagher-l-and-liam-gallagher-of-oasis-at-the-oasis-dont-look-back-in-anger-premiere-at-the-83rd-venice-internationa.jpg?id=67776362&width=600&height=600&quality=50&coordinates=157%2C0%2C157%2C0)
