Yves Jarvis wins Polaris Music Prize for ‘All Cylinders,’ Mustafa also nabs a prize

Yves Jarvis speaks after winning the Polaris Music Prize at Massey Hall in Toronto on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. (The Canadian Press/Laura Proctor)

Yves Jarvis has won the Polaris Music Prize for his album “All Cylinders.”

The fifth full-length record from the Montreal rock musician was selected for the $30,000 prize by an 11-member grand jury, which named it the best Canadian album of the year based on artistic merit.

He took the stage at Toronto’s Massey Hall to accept the cash award from host and 2019 winner Haviah Mighty.

“I was just honoured to be nominated at all — I’m shocked,” he said while clutching a vinyl copy of his winning album.

“I feel really blessed to be recognized in this way and be an ambassador for Canadian art.”

The 29-year-old musician went on to thank many people, including his parents, who he said supplied the spare bedroom where he recorded his first album since being dropped by his previous record label.

“All Cylinders” draws from several eras of rock and pop, with original songs that evoke the sounds of Billy Joel, Beck, and Prince.

The album beat out nine other shortlisted contenders for what’s considered one of the country’s most prestigious music awards. Nemahsis, Mustafa and French-Canadian singer Lou-Adriane Cassidy were also in the running.

Along with the cash prize, the award gives its winner heightened global awareness for their album. Previous winners include Kaytranada, Jeremy Dutcher and Tanya Tagaq.

Backstage, Jarvis was still trying to find words to describe how he felt.

“I’m not used to this,” he said. “This year has moved very quickly for me.”

Born in Gatineau, Que., as Jean-Sébastien Yves Audet, the musician spent nearly a decade living in Calgary before relocating to Los Angeles and ultimately his parents’ home in Montreal, where he made “All Cylinders” in relative isolation.

“I’ve always really done it myself; I play all the instruments on the record,” he said.

“I like to record on my own.”

He said the version of “All Cylinders” released was originally conceived as more of a dry run, made with equipment borrowed from friends.

But after securing new management, he said everyone around him was “interested, excited and animated by the work itself.” So he decided to release that version to the public.

He said the Polaris win is the “greatest sign I could get to keep going.”

“And I’ll be going with a fervour that is stronger,” he added. “The work will glitter afresh with this acknowledgment.”

This year’s Polaris gala saw the introduction of a new $10,000 song prize, which went to contemporary folk-poet Mustafa for “Gaza is Calling.”

The Sudanese-Canadian singer was inspired by childhood memories of his friendship with a Palestinian boy in the Toronto housing project where they both lived.

While organizers say Mustafa was unable to accept his award due to prior commitments, other musicians carried his torch of being outspoken.

Montreal electronic musician Marie Davidson opened the show by encouraging people to “cultivate critical thinking” in the current political climate.

“There’s a lot going on right now in this world — political corruption, climate change, wars, genocide,” she said.

“There is a genocide happening in Palestine right now.”

Katie Sketch of former Vancouver punk act the Organ closed the band’s acceptance speech for the Polaris heritage prize with another political note.

“I just wanted to say to Alberta: Stop being transphobic and stop banning books,” Sketch said to cheers from the crowd.

Palestinian-Canadian singer-songwriter Nemahsis also offered a note of encouragement for her fellow artists when she performed.

“Recently, someone told me music isn’t political,” she said.

“We wouldn’t have any art without politics.... The best art comes from political people, comes from people that suffered from the worst situations...and they want to tell us not to be political.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2025.