The SOCAN Polaris Song Prize has its inaugural short list.
The list comprises songs recorded by Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Saya Gray, Yves Jarvis, Mustafa and Ribbon Skirt. The winner will receive $10,000 split between the song’s Canadian performers and the song’s credited Canadian songwriter(s), courtesy of Canadian performing rights society SOCAN.
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Here is this year’s short list:
* Lou-Adriane Cassidy— “Dis-moi dis-moi dis-moi,” written by Lou-Adriane Cassidy and Alexandre Martel
* Saya Gray — “SHELL (OF A MAN),” written by Saya Gray and John Mavro
* Yves Jarvis — “Gold Filigree,” written by Yves Jarvis
* Mustafa — “Gaza is Calling,” written by Mustafa Ahmed, Emmanuel Hailemariam, Simon Hessman and Nicolas Jaar
* Ribbon Skirt — “Wrong Planet,” written by Tashiina Buswa and Billy Riley
These songs were selected from the previously announced 20-song long list.
Of these five artists, only Toronto artist/poet Mustafa has previous experience of a Polaris-related short list, via a 2021 nomination for the Polaris Music Prize for his debut release, When Smoke Rises.
An interesting facet of this short list is that all five of the artists listed are also on the 10 album short list for the 2025 Polaris Music Prize. As a result, they will all be performing at the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony, at Toronto’s Massey Hall on Tuesday, September 16. Both Prizes will be awarded at that event.
As with the Polaris Music Prize, the Song Prize is voted on by the members of the Polaris jury without regard to musical genre, label affiliation or commercial popularity.
The SOCAN Polaris Song Prize is the organization’s first new award since the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize was introduced in 2015 to award albums from the pre-Polaris Prize era. The launch of the Song Prize is part of an extensive initiative of programming changes announced for the organization’s 20th anniversary.
Tickets for the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony are on sale now via the Massey Hall website.
This article was originally published by Billboard Canada.
