While the Polaris Music Prize's jury of more than 200 journalists and broadcasters determines the short-list nominees each year, the artists who make it to the top 10 often have some very big supporters outside of the jury. These can be the directors who make their music videos, the producers who help them put the final touches on their nominated albums, or even fellow musicians who have fallen in love with their sound over the years.
This year, CBC Music and Polaris Music Prize have gathered 10 people to speak on the nominated artists. These video segments aired during the live broadcast of the gala on Monday night, and featured exclusive testimonials from Babyface, Tanya Tagaq, Arcade Fire's Win Butler, Safia Nolin, Karkwa's Louis-Jean Cormier, Matt Johnson, George Stroumboulopoulos, Gang Gang Dance's Lizzi Bougatsos, Jesse Wente and Shamir.
If you missed these clips during the big show, you can re-watch them all below. To see CBC Music's full coverage of the Polaris Music Prize, head over to cbcmusic.ca/polaris.
Tanya Tagaq on Weaves
Babyface (Kenneth Edmonds) on Daniel Caesar
Safia Nolin on Jean-Michel Blais
Louis-Jean Cormier on Hubert Lenoir
Matt Johnson on Alvvays
George Stroumboulopoulos on Snotty Nose Rez Kids
Lizzi Bougatsos on U.S. Girls
Jesse Wente on Jeremy Dutcher
Win Butler on Pierre Kwenders
Shamir on Partner
Related
Meet the 10 artists shortlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize
Celebrating the best of Canadian music from 2024. The Polaris Prize awards the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. Hear this year's short-list nominees: The Beaches; Elisapie; BAMBII; Jeremy Dutcher; Allison Russell; TOBi; DijahSB; Cindy Lee; Charlotte Cardin; Nobro; and past year's winners!