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Awards

Jeremy Dutcher Wins the 2024 Polaris Music Prize for 'Motewolonuwok'

The winner was revealed tonight (September 17) at the gala at Massey Hall in Toronto, with Dutcher becoming the first two-time winner of the prize.

Jeremy Dutcher

Jeremy Dutcher

Courtesy Photo

Jeremy Dutcher has won the 2024 Polaris Music Prize for Motewolonuwok, making history as the first two-time winner of the prize.

Dutcher will take home the $50,000 prize, which goes to the best Canadian album of the year, as determined by a jury of experts and based solely on artistic merit. He first won the prize in 2018, for Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa.


"I just wanna say I love you all, I can only do this cause you're here to listen, and that means so much to me," Dutcher said, receiving the award. "To bring forward art and music in this land, in our languages, with our aesthetics," he continued, "all I have to say is we're here shining for you — now go shine for other people."

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Dutcher was competing in a tough field, against nine other shortlisted albums: Cindy Lee's Diamond Jubilee, NOBRO's Set Your Pussy Free, TOBi's Panic, DijahSB's The Flower That Knew, Allison Russell's The Returner, Bambii's Infinity Club, Elisapie's Inuktitut, The Beaches' Blame My Ex and Charlotte Cardin's 99 Nights.

The prize was awarded at the Polaris Gala, held at Massey Hall in Toronto and hosted by 2023 winner Debby Friday.

Other previous winners include Pierre Kwenders (2022), Cadence Weapon (2021), Backxwash (2020), Haviah Mighty (2019), Lido Pimienta (2017), and Kaytranada (2016).

Stay tuned for more coverage from the Polaris Gala.

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Intro

Billboard Canada 2025 Power Players List Revealed

By Richard Trapunski, Rosie Long Decter, Peony Hirwani, Stefano Rebuli and Heather Taylor-Singh

Billboard Canada Power Players is back for a second year, and it comes at a pivotal time for Canadian music. Canadian Content regulations – a principle that built the domestic industry – are up for review for the first time in a generation, with ongoing hearings taking place with the CRTC. The Online Streaming Act, meanwhile, is attempting to regulate major foreign streaming services to contribute to CanCon as the CRTC once did for radio, but companies like Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music aren't taking it without a fight.

Those issues shadow the industry, which has both struggles and successes. The country was recently named the 8th largest music market in the world by the IFPI and Toronto has emerged as a marquee live music market. That's been reflected in the successes and investments in new venues by companies like Live Nation Canada, MLSE and Oak View Group, though some festivals and promoters outside of their orbit have gone public with their own struggles.

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