20-Song Long List Announced for New SOCAN Polaris Song Prize

For the first time in 2025, the Polaris Music Prize is going to a song.

The SOCAN Polaris Song Prize has unveiled its 20-nominee long list. Like the Polaris Music Prize, which honours one Canadian album based solely on artistic merit, this one does the same but for an individual track. Similarly, the Song Prize will be voted on by the members of the Polaris jury without regard to musical genre, label affiliation or commercial popularity.

Hot on the heels of the recently announced Polaris Music Prize 40-album long list, the Song Prize is the organization’s first new award since the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize was introduced in 2015 to award albums from before the Polaris Prize was invented. The launch of the Song Prize is part of an extensive initiative of programming changes announced for the organization’s 20th anniversary.

The 20-song Song Prize long list recognizes an exceptional group of songs by musicians across the nation, bringing visibility and artistic recognition from diverse genres.

Some of the nominees, including indie artist Saya Gray, singer-songwriter Mustafa and Indigenous hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids, are present on both long lists. Montreal rapper Backxwash, who won the 2020 Polaris Prize for her album God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It, has two songs on the inaugural list. Other previous winners Caribou and Kaytranada are also on the list.

The inaugural SOCAN Polaris Song Prize winner will receive $10,000 split between the song's Canadian performers and the song’s credited Canadian songwriter(s), courtesy of SOCAN, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary. (SOCAN previously awarded its own SOCAN Songwriting Prize, in both English and French.)

The five-song shortlist is set to be revealed on July 29. Alongside the Polaris Music Prize album winner, the winning Polaris song will be revealed during the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony, powered by FACTOR, taking place at Toronto’s Massey Hall on Tuesday, September 16. Tickets are on sale now via the Massey Hall website. Polaris is offering 15% off tickets with the code POLARIS15.

Here is the full list:

The 2025 SOCAN Polaris Song Prize Long List

Art d'Ecco — “The Traveller”

Backxwash — “History Of Violence”

Backxwash — “9th Heaven”

Caribou — “Honey”

Lou-Adriane Cassidy — “Dis-moi dis-moi dis-moi”

Marie Davidson — “Fun Times”

Yves Jarvis — “Gold Filagree”

Kaytranada ft. Lou Phelps — “Call U Up”

Richard Laviolette — “Constant Love”

Mustafa — “Gaza is Calling”

The OBGMs — “Changes ft. Sate”

Klô Pelgag — “Le goût des mangues”

Propagandhi — “At Peace”

Reuben and the Bullhorn Singers — “Powerful”

Ribbon Skirt — “Wrong Planet”

Saya Gray — “Shell (Of A Man)”

Snotty Nose Rez Kids feat. Aysanabee, Drezus, Rueben George — “FREE"

Colin Stetson — “The love it took to leave you”

The Weather Station — “Neon Signs”

Rick White and The Sadies — “Fly Away”