Tegan and Sara, Jackie Mittoo Win 2024 Polaris Heritage Prize for Classic Canadian Albums
The indie rock duo won the public vote with their 2004 album So Jealous, while Mittoo's classic reggae album Macka Fat received the jury's designation for Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, which honours albums released before the Polaris Music Prize launched in 2006.
Two influential Canadian albums have been named to the ranks of Polaris Heritage Prize winners.
Tegan and Sara's 2004 indie rock statement So Jealous and Jackie Mittoo's 1970s reggae classic Macka Fat have received the 2024 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize designation. The prize honours albums released before the Polaris Music Prize launched in 2006 and acts somewhat like a hall of fame for great Canadian albums.
So Jealous won the public vote. The sibling duo's fourth record helped launch them to international fame and queer icon status, featuring one of their signature tracks, "Walking With a Ghost."
"Thank you to the Polaris Prize for recognizing one of our favorite albums and for honoring us with this prize. So Jealous isn't just beloved by our fans; it’s an album that changed our lives forever," said the sisters in a statement.
They recall experiencing homophobia and sexism in the industry when the album was released, and express gratitude for managers Nick Blasko and Piers Henwood who stood by them through the discrimination. (They've gone on to champion queer rights in music and beyond, including in an open letter earlier this year that called out anti-trans legislation in Canadian provinces).
“To the fans who discovered us when we were so desperate to be found, thank you,” they add.
Jackie Mittoo's Macka Fat received jury selection for the Heritage Prize, chosen by a panel of experts that included former Polaris nominee and roots musician Julian Taylor. The landmark album was a key part of the burgeoning Jamaican music scene in Toronto, which would go on to massively influence the city's musical output. Mittoo, who died in 1990, also served as musical director of influential Jamaican label Studio One.
Grammy-nominated producer, writer, and journalist Kevin Howes emphasized the importance of Mittoo's work in a statement. "Macka Fat is a blessed, Studio One blast, recorded in 1971 on a reggae and soul-splashed journey back to Kingston, Jamaica, via Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where the Brown’s Town, St. Ann Parish, JA-born ‘Keyboard King’ had resided since 1968," says Howes.
Mittoo's music continues to reverberate across the globe, from London to Paris to Mexico City, Howes states. "Jackie Mittoo is boss, eternally… PEACE."
Jackie Mittoo and Tegan and Sara were up against tough competition, nominated alongside ten other records for the Heritage Prize, including indie favourite Reconstruction Site by The Weakerthans, the self-titled solo release from the late Robbie Robertson, and Oscar Peterson's Canadiana Suite.
Previous Heritage Prize winners include Glenn Gould’s Bach: The Goldberg Variations, Blue Rodeo’s Five Days In July, and last year's winners, Bites by Skinny Puppy and Maestro Fresh Wes' Symphony In Effect.
The 2024 Polaris Music Prize was awarded to Jeremy Dutcher's Motewolonuwok at the Polaris Gala in September, making Dutcher the first two-time winner of the prize, which is awarded annually to the best Canadian album.
