{"id":117641,"date":"2025-09-17T14:46:28","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T18:46:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=117641"},"modified":"2025-09-17T14:46:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T18:46:28","slug":"report-canadian-music-is-alive-and-well-the-polaris-music-prize-gala-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/09\/17\/report-canadian-music-is-alive-and-well-the-polaris-music-prize-gala-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"REPORT | Canadian Music Is Alive And Well: The Polaris Music Prize Gala 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_117648\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-117648\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-117648\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy_of_Copy_of_INTERVIEW_1.jpg\" alt=\"At the Polaris Music Prize Gala, September 16, 2025: Montr\u00e9al-based Marie Davidson opened the performances; Brampton based former Polaris winner Haviah Mighty was host for the evening; 2025 Polaris Music Prize winner Yves Jarvis; Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow had some opening remarks; the Massey Hall stage just before the gala began (Photos: Anya Wassenberg)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy_of_Copy_of_INTERVIEW_1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy_of_Copy_of_INTERVIEW_1-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy_of_Copy_of_INTERVIEW_1-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy_of_Copy_of_INTERVIEW_1-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-117648\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">At the Polaris Music Prize Gala, September 16, 2025: Montr\u00e9al-based Marie Davidson opened the performances; Brampton based former Polaris winner Haviah Mighty was host for the evening; 2025 Polaris Music Prize winner Yves Jarvis; Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow had some opening remarks; the Massey Hall stage just before the gala began (Photos: Anya Wassenberg)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Toronto\u2019s Massey Hall filled up with a distinctively well dressed crowd to celebrate Canadian music as represented by the Polaris Music Prize shortlisted acts, who performed at the September 16 gala, and the ultimate prize winners.<\/p>\n<p>The Polaris Music Prize and Song Prize are awarded by a jury of almost 200 music writers and experts (of which I am one), who recommend albums based purely on artistic merit \u2014 without considering sales or other details.<\/p>\n<h3>The Polaris Music Prize 2025<\/h3>\n<p>Montr\u00e9al experimental musician, singer-songwriter and producer Yves Jarvis took home the 2025 Polaris Music Prize for his album All Cylinders. It was the third Polaris Short List appearance for the guitarist whose music defies easy categorization.<\/p>\n<p>His dynamic performance at Tuesday\u2019s event showcased his blend of jazz, funk, classically-informed prog rock elements and psychedelica with a virtuosic delivery, and unusual inclusion of a wind instrument.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rFrx6YjYt8c?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI was just honoured just to be nominated at all,\u201d said Jarvis as he accepted the Prize, which comes with a $30,000 CAD award. \u201cI&#8217;m shocked,\u201d he added. He recounted how he\u2019d recorded most of the album in his parents\u2019 spare room. His parents\u2019 home is where he got his start.<\/p>\n<p>Jarvis, aka Jean-S\u00e9bastien Yves Audet, was born in Qu\u00e9bec, but grew up largely in Calgary. That\u2019s where he got his start in music as a teen, releasing music from his bedroom under the names Un Blonde and Faux Fur. After graduating from high school, he headed for Montr\u00e9al, where he\u2019s now based.<\/p>\n<p>Yves is also a model for DIY musician ingenuity. On the All Cylinders album, he plays all the instruments himself, and used Audacity, free online digital audio workstation software, to create most of the tracks.<\/p>\n<p>Also on the Short List were<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bibi Club: Feu de garde<\/li>\n<li>Lou-Adriane Cassidy: Journal d\u2019un Loup-Garou<\/li>\n<li>Marie Davidson: City Of Clowns<\/li>\n<li>Saya Gray: SAYA<\/li>\n<li>Mustafa: Dunya<\/li>\n<li>Nemahsis: Verbathim<\/li>\n<li>The OBGMs: SORRY, IT\u2019S OVER<\/li>\n<li>Population II: Maintenant Jamais<\/li>\n<li>Ribbon Skirt: Bite Down<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Other Prizes<\/h3>\n<p>This year was the inaugural award for the <strong>Polaris Song Prize<\/strong>, which was launched in partnership with SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) to celebrate the 20th edition of the Polaris Music Prize.<\/p>\n<p>That award went to folk singer-songwriter <strong>Mustafa<\/strong> for his track Gaza Is Calling. The Prize, which was accepted by previous Polaris winner Cadence Weapon on Mustafa&#8217;s behalf comes with $10,000 CAD, which the songwriter will split with his co-writers Emmanuel Hailemariam, Simon Hessman and Nicolas Jaar.<\/p>\n<p>Mustafa , aka Mustafa Ahmed, is a Toronto-born Sudanese Canadian poet, singer-songwriter, and filmmaker. Dunya is his debut full-length album. His EP When Smoke Rises won a JUNO Award in 2022<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize<\/strong> is given to two artists. The Heritage Prize is awarded to albums that were released before the Polaris Music Prize was launched back in 2006, and is meant as a hall-of-fame recognition. One of the prizes is given according to a public vote, while the other is awarded by a special Heritage Prize jury.<\/p>\n<p>Rock band <strong>The Organ<\/strong>, an all-woman ensemble based in Vancouver, was the choice of the public vote for their 2004 album Grab That Gun, incidentally the band\u2019s only full-length album. The indie rockers were popular on Canadian campus radio stations.<\/p>\n<p>Toronto-based electronica, experimental, folk, pop, rock songwriter <strong>Jane Siberry<\/strong> was the jury\u2019s choice for her 1985 album The Speckless Sky. It was Siberry\u2019s third, and included the single \u201cOne More Colour\u201d, which has since been covered by The Rheostatics, and was used in the film The Sweet Hereafter.<\/p>\n<p>The Organ\u2019s Katie Sketch says in a statement, \u201cWinning the Polaris for Grab The Gun is a wonderful surprise. [&#8230;] We are deeply grateful to everyone who continues to listen, and to those who stood with us in a time when queerness was ridiculed and shamed. We also acknowledge that the landscape remains hostile towards trans people and we urge Canadians to protect our most vulnerable. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Jane Siberry comments on The Speckless Sky<\/p>\n<p>\u201cForty years later, I still feel like a baby musician, still inching towards my prime. [&#8230;] I am grateful to be a musician, sweating a privilege to be a musician and possibly of service. Thank you to everyone, whoever you are, whatever you are doing. May whatever lights you up be your compass. Helping each other remember our original beauty, innocence and joy. Joy to musicians world-wide.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The other albums nominated for Heritage Prize consideration for 2025 were:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Choclair: Ice Cold<\/li>\n<li>The Constantines: The Constantines<\/li>\n<li>Franck Dervieux: Dimension M<\/li>\n<li>Do Make Say Think: Goodbye Enemy Airship, The Landlord Is Dead<\/li>\n<li>Doughboys: Crush<\/li>\n<li>Dubmatique: La Force De Comprendre<\/li>\n<li>Mort Garson: Mother Earth&#8217;s Plantasia<\/li>\n<li>Propagandhi: Today&#8217;s Empires, Tomorrow&#8217;s Ashes<\/li>\n<li>Rascalz: Cash Crop<\/li>\n<li>Strawberry: Brokeheart Audio<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Congratulations to all the winners and nominees. One day, orchestral music lovers, one day&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a;\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? 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