Polaris Prize
photo by Alistair Maitland

2016 Polaris Prize Long List (Grimes, White Lung, US Girls, The Weeknd, Drake, Dilly Dally & more)

The Polaris Music Prize, Canada’s annual award for a great album, has announced its 2016 longlist. Nominees include Grimes, White Lung, U.S. Girls, The Weeknd, Drake, Dilly Dally, Peaches, Daniel Romano, Suuns, Operators, Kaytranada, Jessy Lanza, Destroyer, Basia Bulat, Black Mountain, and many more. Oh, and uh, Justin Bieber. Here’s the full list:

Art Bergmann — The Apostate
Justin Bieber — Purpose
Black Mountain — IV
Jean-Michel Blais — II
Basia Bulat — Good Advice
Daniel Caesar — Pilgrim’s Paradise
Tanika Charles — Soul Run
City and Colour — If I Should Go Before You
Coeur de pirate — Roses
Dead Obies — Gesamtkunstwerk
Destroyer — Poison Season
Dilly Dally — Sore
Drake — VIEWS
Essaie pas — Demain est une autre nuit
Fred Fortin — Ultramarr
FOXTROTT — A Taller Us
Grimes — Art Angels
Half Moon Run — Sun Leads Me On
Veda Hille — Love Waves
Jazz Cartier — Hotel Paranoia
Carly Rae Jepsen — E•MO•TION
Junior Boys — Big Black Coat
Kaytranada — 99.90%
Jessy Lanza — Oh No
Majid Jordan — Majid Jordan
Michelle McAdorey — Into Her Future
Nap Eyes — Thought Rock Fish Scale
Safia Nolin — Limoilou
Operators — Blue Wave
Peaches — Rub
PUP — The Dream Is Over
Daniel Romano — Mosey
Andy Shauf — The Party
The Strumbellas — HOPE
Suuns — Hold/Still
U.S. Girls — Half Free
Un Blonde — Good Will Come To You
The Weeknd — Beauty Behind the Madness
White Lung — Paradise
Donovan Woods — Hard Settle, Ain’t Troubled

The eligibility period for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize runs from June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016. The shortlist will be announced July 14 at The Carlu in Toronto. The Polaris Gala will be held on September 19 at The Carlu in Toronto and will be streamed live by CBC Music and AUX TV.

An hour-long broadcast celebrating the Polaris Long List will air on CBC Radio 2 today at 6 PM.

Last year’s winner was Buffy Sainte-Marie.