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Jessie Reyez’s “Before Love Came to Kill Us” Makes Polaris Music Prize Short List

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Jessie Reyez is on the short list…

The 2020 Polaris Music Prize short list has been announced, with the 29-year-old Colombian-Canadian singer/songwriter’s latest studio effort among the artists nominated for the award celebrating the best Canadian album.

Jessie Reyez

Reyez’s debut album Before Love Came to Kill Us, which was released this past March, is among the 10 finalists.

This is the second year in a row Reyez has made the short list.

Jessie Reyez Before Love Came to Kill Us

Last year, her EP Being Human in Public lost out to Haviah Mighty’s debut album 13th Floor for the Polaris Music Prize. 

But Reyez isn’t the only Latina in the running this year…

Lido Pimienta’s Miss Colombia has earned a spot on the short list.

The 34-year-old Afro-Colombian singer’s previous album La Papessa won the Polaris prize in 2017.

In addition to Reyez and Pimienta’s albums, others making the short list include DJ/Producer Kaytranada (Bubba), Caribou (Suddenly), rapper Backxwash (God Has Nothing to do With This Leave Him Out of It), Toronto rapper Junia-T (Studio Monk), bands nêhiyawak (nipiy), Pantayo (Pantayo), Witch Prophet (DNA Activation) and three-time Polaris short-listers U.S. Girls (Heavy Light).

The Polaris Music Prize awards $50,000 to the artist who creates the Canadian Album of the Year, which is judged on artistic merit, without consideration of genre or sales. 

The nine other nominated acts on the short list get $3,000. Eligible albums were released between May 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual show will not be held in person, but the winner will be announced during a “cinematic tribute” on October 19.

Jessie Reyez’s New Album Makes the Long List for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize

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Jessie Reyezis making the list… And, it’s a prestigious one at that!

The 40-album list for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize— an annual award that celebrates the best Canadian albums released over the past year – has been released, with 29-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter earning a place.

Jessie Reyez

Reyez was recognized for her acclaimed debut Before Love Came To Kill Us, which was released in March. It debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200.

Reyez’s album includes collaborations with Eminem and 6LACK, with the deluxe edition including additional features from Rico Nasty, Melii, JID, and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie. 

But Reyez isn’t the only Latina honoree…

Lido Pimienta has made the list for her album Miss Colombia, which was released earlier this year.

The 34-year-old Colombian singer rose to prominence after her 2016 album, La Papessa, won the Polaris Music Prize in 2017.

To qualify for this year’s honor, albums must have been released between June 1, 2019, and May 31, 2020. A total of 223 albums were considered for the 2020 long list, as determined by a 201-member jury comprised of music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers.

The long list will eventually be culled down to a short list of 10 albums, set to be announced July 15 during a CBC Music radio special. Eleven members of the jury will then be selected to serve on a grand jury that will choose this year’s winner.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the 2020 Polaris winner — normally revealed during a splashy awards ceremony — will be announced live on the CBC Gem streaming service and via the CBC Music website during a “special cinematic event” this fall. Like every year, the winner will receive $50,000 CAD, while shortlisted artists will receive $3,000 CAD each courtesy of Slaight Music.

The Polaris Music Prize is considered one of Canada’s most prestigious music awards; in addition to the cash prize, winners receive a level of attention and renown that is highly coveted in the Canadian music industry.

The 2020 Polaris Music Prize long list is: 
Allie X – Cape God Anachnid – Dreamweaver
Aquakultre – Legacy
Marie-Pierre Arthur – Des feux pour voir
Backxwash – God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It
Badge Époque Ensemble – Badge Époque Ensemble
Begonia – Fear
Chocolat – Jazz engagé
Louis-Jean Cormier – Quand la nuit tombe
Corridor – Junior
dvsn – A Muse In Her Feelings
Jacques Greene – Dawn Chorus
Sarah Harmer – Are You Gone
Ice Cream – FED UP
Junia-T – Studio Monk
Kaytranada – Bubba
Flore Laurentienne – Volume 1
Cindy Lee – What’s Tonight To Eternity?
Men I Trust – Oncle Jazz
nêhiyawak – nipiy
OBUXUM – Re-Birth
Owen Pallett – Island
Pantayo – Pantayo
Lido Pimienta – Miss Colombia
Joel Plaskett – 44
William Prince – Reliever
Jessie Reyez – BEFORE LOVE CAME TO KILL US
Andy Shauf – The Neon Skyline
Riit – ataataga
Super Duty Tough Work – Studies in Grey
U.S. Girls – Heavy Light
Leif Vollebekk – New Ways
Wares – Survival
The Weeknd – After Hours
WHOOP-Szo – Warrior Down
Witch Prophet – DNA ActivationZen Bamboo – GLU

Lido Pimienta’s “La Papessa” Wins Polaris Music Prize’s Canadian Album of the Year Title

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Lido Pimienta has a massive reason to celebrate…

The Colombian Canadian musician’s La Papessa has been declared Canadian album of the year by the Polaris Music Prize grand jury.

Lido Pimienta

The award comes with a check for C$50,000 ($41,000) and was presented by last year’s winner, Kaytranada.

As the 11-member grand jury — selected from the larger jury pool of music media — debated about and voted on the 10-title shortlist behind closed doors at the venue, those artists were honored onstage with a thoughtful essay about their work and a custom-designed poster.

Some of the nominees also performed: Pimienta, Feist, Tanya Tagaq, Lisa LeBlanc, Leif Vollebekk and Weaves.

The audience of 900 was mostly comprised of industry, artists, sponsors and jurors with a small quantity of tickets sold to the public.

Lido Pimienta

The other nine albums on the 2017 short list were A Tribe Called Red‘s We Are The Halluci Nation; BadBadNotGood’s IV; Leonard Cohen‘s You Want It Darker; Gord Downie’s Secret Path; Feist’s Pleasure; Lisa LeBlanc’s Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen?; Tanya Tagaq’s Retribution; Leif Vollebekk’s Twin Solitude; and  the eponymously-titled release by Weaves.

The albums are judged solely on artistic merit, without consideration of genre, sales or professional affiliation, according to the Polaris mandate. The eligibility period for the titles is June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017.

The nominated albums had been selected by a two-part calculation process. This year’s 201-member jury — made up of music journalists, broadcasters and music bloggers from across Canada — selected 188 titles on the first online ballot, which asked for their top 5 picks ranked in order. The 40-title long list was then determined and the same jurors picked their top 5 from those 40 to determine the short-list.

Slaight Music again donated the prize money, C$50,000 for the winner and C$3,000 ($2,275) for each of nine short-listed acts.

Artists who have previous won the Polaris Music Prize are Kaytranada (2016), Buffy Sainte-Marie (2015), Tanya Tagaq (2014), Godspeed You! Black Emperor (2013), Feist (2012), Arcade Fire (2011), Karkwa (2010), Fucked Up (2009), Caribou (2008), Patrick Watson (2007), and Final Fantasy / Owen Pallett (2006).