By David Topping

This Monday, September 24, the winner of the second-annual Polaris Prize will be announced at a gala event at the Phoenix. There will be stars, musical performances, free food and drink, and, unfortunately, you are probably not invited. Given to the best Canadian album of the past year, and awarded solely on artistic merit, the $20,000 prize is getting handed to someone (probably Feist) at a media and invite-only event. (Torontoist was graciously invited, but we’re not sure if we’ll be there to cover it yet.) This year’s shortlist––which we spent a midsummer day covering––is heavy on the rock and light on everything else, with The Arcade Fire, The Besnard Lakes, The Dears, Julie Doiron, Feist, Junior Boys, Miracle Fortress, Joel Plaskett Emergency, Chad VanGaalen, and Patrick Watson all getting nods.
For star-gazers, though, not all is lost. At 10 p.m.––the same time that you can check the award’s website to find out the official winner––the Drake’s official after-party kicks off, with Jeremy Greenspan of Junior Boys (pictured) DJing. Since the Drake is the “Official Hospitality Supplier” for Polaris, all the nominees are apparently staying there––which, the press release notes, “means all sorts of crazy things could happen.” We suggest quickly checking the internet to see who won before you leave, though, because you don’t want one of the “crazy things” to be you awkwardly congratulating the wrong people.
Photo of Jeremy Greenspan from the Junior Boys’ website.