TORONTO -- New albums from the Weeknd, Daniel Caesar and Jessie Reyez have been longlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize.
The projects are among 40 records that will progress to the next stage of consideration, a short list of 10 contenders to be revealed on July 16.
Other artists competing for the $50,000 prize include Toronto R&B duo Dvsn (pronounced "division"), avant-garde pop singer Allie X and alt-rock musician Joel Plaskett.
An array of Indigenous performers, both established and relative newcomers, are also in the running. Among them, Winnipeg-based folk musician William Prince and Inuk electro-pop throat singer Riit.
A few past Polaris winners also made the list with their newest albums, including Kaytranada and Owen Pallett, who was the first Polaris winner back in 2006 under his performance name Final Fantasy.
The Polaris Music Prize is considered one of the country's most prestigious music awards and, beyond its cash prize, it puts the winner's music in the global spotlight.
