Polaris Music Prize shortlist includes Mustafa, Nemahsis
Organizers say the best Canadian album winner will receive $30,000, down from $50,000.
Executive director Amber Still said the organization received less money from some of its sponsors this year.
With new album, Mustafa tackles rage and forgiveness. Just don't call it therapeutic
Other shortlisted artists include electronic experimentalist Marie Davidson, punk outfit the OBGMs and psychedelic rockers Population II.
The winner will be announced at a gala at Toronto's Massey Hall on Sept. 16, when the $10,000 Polaris Song Prize will also be handed out for the first time.
This year's contenders also include folk-soul performer Saya Gray and French-Canadian singer Lou-Adriane Cassidy.
Rounding out the list is pop pair Bibi Club, Calgary-raised Yves Jarvis and Anishinaabe-led duo Ribbon Skirt.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Mustafa, Lou-Adriane Cassidy among contenders for first Polaris Song Prize
Mustafa performs during the Juno Awards in Toronto on Sunday, May 15, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette TORONTO — Mustafa's heartfelt 'Gaza is Calling' and Lou-Adriane Cassidy's theatrical 'Dis-moi dis-moi dis-moi' are among the five contenders for the inaugural Polaris Song Prize. The $10,000 cash award recognizing the Canadian song of the year, based on artistic merit, will be shared by its Canadian performers and songwriters. Also vying for the honour is Saya Gray's 'Shell (Of a Man),' Yves Jarvis' 'Gold Filigree,' and Ribbon Skirt's 'Wrong Planet.' The song prize winner will be announced as part of the Polaris Music Prize gala on Sept. 16 at Toronto's Massey Hall. All five of the shortlisted songs also appear on albums up for this year's Polaris Music Prize. The winner of the Polaris Song Prize is selected using a different process than the main Polaris Music Prize award. While the album winner is chosen by an 11-person jury leading up to the September gala, the song winner will be determined through online voting that draws on a pool of more than 200 music journalists and industry professionals, such as critics, podcasters, playlist curators and academics. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2025 David Friend, The Canadian Press
Cision Canada
2 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Government of Canada supports Tlingít cultural revitalization in Yukon
Government of Canada supports the Carcross/Tagish First Nation's Haa Ḵusteeyí celebration of language and community, honouring Tlingít culture. CARCROSS, YT, July 29, 2025 /CNW/ - For Indigenous communities, the act of gathering ais about more than tradition; it is a way to ensure language, culture, history and sacred bonds with the land are able to thrive and grow stronger. Brendan Hanley, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Member of Parliament (Yukon), announced a $95,000 investment in support of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation's Haa Ḵusteeyí celebration, a gathering of Tlingít communities from across the Yukon, British Columbia and Alaska, held from July 24 to 26, 2025. He made the announcement at the gathering's opening ceremony, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages. The Carcross/Tagish First Nation received $50,000 through the Development component of the Canada Arts Presentation Fund. The investment helped support the celebration's artistic program, which featured more than a dozen traditional and contemporary dance, drumming, storytelling and musical performances that reflect the histories, identities and living traditions of participating Indigenous nations. The Carcross/Tagish First Nation also received $45,000 through the Events component of the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program to deliver a series of inclusive, hands-on cultural workshops and youth engagement activities. Haa Ḵusteeyí featured Elder-led workshops on seal-skin moccasin making, hide tanning, cedar hat weaving and carving, among other topics. They encourage intercultural connection and intergenerational sharing of cultural knowledge. The celebration brought together more than 3,000 people, to honour Tlingít language and traditions through storytelling, dance, ceremony and shared learning. Quotes "Haa Ḵusteeyí is a beautiful celebration of Tlingít culture and a living expression of Indigenous tradition and identity. It also allows Canadians to build meaningful relationships, rooted in reconciliation. Our government is proud to invest in programs that advance reconciliation, honour culture, preserve language, and sustain cultural teachings and knowledge. Events like this allow all of us to build meaningful relationships rooted in respect and walk the path of reconciliation together." —The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages "I was deeply honoured to be invited to the Carcross/Tagish First Nation for Haa Ḵusteeyí. It was profoundly moving to see how communities sustain the rich and vibrant traditions of the Tlingít people through language, culture and teachings. Having chosen to call the Yukon home for more than three decades, I am proud of our government's commitment to Haa Ḵusteeyí. It's a clear demonstration of reconciliation in action." — Brendan Hanley, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs, and Member of Parliament (Yukon) "Haa Ḵusteeyí is an important biennial celebration of Inland Tlingit culture, but this year has been a difficult one. In such times in our history, Haa Ḵusteeyí has continued. We have upheld this tradition in proudly hosting Haa Ḵusteeyí 2025 and by bringing our ancestors with us through ceremony, by offering a fire plate each evening and keeping a sacred fire burning throughout the celebration. I thank our Carcross/Tagish First Nation citizen and Haa Ḵusteeyí coordinator, Nicole Welin, and her team for skillfully meeting many challenges. Through their work and the support of many volunteers and major sponsors, like the Department of Canadian Heritage, Haa Ḵusteeyí 2025 has been a success." — Maria Benoit, Haa Sha du Hen (Chief), Carcross/Tagish First Nation Quick Facts The biannual Haa Ḵusteeyí is a Tlingít cultural gathering that rotates between host First Nations in the Yukon and British Columbia. The gathering allows Tlingít people to come together, actively use their language and contribute to the revitalization and preservation of Tlingít heritage and culture in their communities. Haa Ḵusteeyí (pronounced Haa Khoo-s-tee-yee) means "our culture" or "Tlingít way" in the Tlingít language and its roots date back centuries. This traditional gathering was revived by Elders in 2005. The Canada Arts Presentation Fund supports organizations that professionally present arts festivals or performing arts series as well as organizations that fund arts presenters. The Development stream supports emerging arts presenters and presenter-support organizations that focus on underserved communities or artistic practices. The Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program's Events component helps fund community-based events that promote intercultural or interfaith understanding, promote discussions on multiculturalism, diversity, racism and religious discrimination, or celebrate a community's history and culture. Carcross/Tagish First Nation Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program SOURCE Canadian Heritage
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
'The show must go on': Honey Jam turns 30 amid financial challenges
Social Sharing A Toronto-based non-profit celebrating a milestone this year says they are facing a significant shortfall that could put the program in jeopardy. Launched in 1995, Honey Jam has mentored young emerging Canadian female artists with workshops, educational programs, vocal and performance coaching, and opportunities to perform and network in a safe space. Honey Jam will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Wednesday with a special concert at Massey Hall showcasing 17 Canadian artists. The program's founder and executive director says the anniversary reflects the community's determination and perseverance. "I don't know of any other program like what we're doing that's free, that's non-profit, that is women-centred, and part of why it was started as women-centred 30 years ago was to create a safe space," said Ebonnie Rowe. However, Rowe says the milestone comes during a financially challenging year for the program due to U.S. President Donald Trump's dismantling of DEI initiatives and tariffs. She says she committed to doing the anniversary concert at Massey Hall before the U.S. elections, without knowing that the expenses would rise and some of her usual sponsors would back out due to economic uncertainty. 'Forever sisterhood without the traveling pants' But the show must go on, Rowe says. "You don't get to 30 years if you're the type of person who gives up and says 'boohoo' and goes and cries in a corner, so the show must go on. I need all those tickets sold, though, so I'm not washing dishes at Massey Hall for 20 years," she said. She says that while the future of Honey Jam as it exists in its current iteration is at risk, the sisterhood is forever. "It's the forever sisterhood without the traveling pants," she said. "We will have our website, our socials, and our social media platforms forever." WATCH | Honey Jam alumni talks about how program impacted her: Honey Jam offers mentorship for women in the music industry 4 years ago Honey Jam alumni include Nelly Furtado, Jully Black, Lu Kala, Melanie Fiona, Savannah Ré, and Haviah Mighty. Rowe says seeing her alumini's growth makes her feel like a "proud momma." "I don't have any children of my own, so I feel very protective, and when I'm scrolling through social media, I literally have whiplash at 'oh my God, you're doing what? You won that award? You're touring with who? You're going to Paris for what?' So I'm very, very proud of all that they've accomplished," she said. Alumni says program was a personal growth Alternative soul artist Fafiélla is one of Honey Jam's alumnus. She says she joined the program in 2022, and it was a great opportunity to connect with other women in the industry. She says the program was a "personal growth" for her, and she still applies the lessons she learned from it in her career. "Having that mentorship and guidance really showed me that I have to communicate and I have to be very strict and stern on my boundaries, my standards, what I offer, my value," said Fafiélla. Losing the program would be a huge loss, she says. "Honey Jam is a women's space. It's for a female artist. I think losing such a big platform in the city that supports women of colour or women at all in the music industry would be a huge loss," said Fafiélla.
