Polaris Music Prize album long list released, includes several Manitoba acts

Alexa Dirks, professionally known as Begonia, arrives on the red carpet for the Juno awards, in Halifax, Sunday, March 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Several Manitoba acts have cracked the long list for a prestigious Canadian album award.

The Polaris Music Prize announced its 40-album long list on Friday, with nominees spanning the gamut from rock to folk to hip-hop to electronic music.

Four artists with Manitoba connections have made the long list.

Begonia was nominated for her most recent album, “Fantasy Life,” for which she won the Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year, the first of her career. It is the third time Begonia has been nominated for the prize, having previously made the short list for her album Powder Blue in 2023 and the long list in 2020 for her album “Fear.”

Another Manitoba artist is making a repeat appearance on the list. JayWood, whose music spans hip-hop, soul and funk, has cracked the long list for his album “LEO NEGRO.” JayWood was previously long-listed for his sophomore album, “Slingshot.”

Long-running punk band Propagandhi has made the list for the second time with their eighth album, “At Peace.” The band was previously long-listed in 2018 for “Victory Lap.”

Boy Golden, the stage name of alternative country singer/songwriter Liam Duncan, has made the list for the first time with his most recent album, “Best of Our Possible Lives.”

The full list includes previous winners Kaytranda and Tanya Tagaq, Juno Award-winning rock band The Beaches, and viral Quebec duo Angine de Poitrine.

The full list can be found online.

The list is selected by an independent jury of more than 200 music critics curators and broadcasters across Canada.

The winning act receives a $30,000 cash prize.

The list will be narrowed down to a 10-album short list on July 9 and will be awarded on Sept. 22 during a concert at Toronto’s Massey Hall.