Polaris Music Prize Drops Their Song Long List

CBC presents the 2025 Polaris Music Prize has revealed the 20-nominee Long List for its first-ever SOCAN Polaris Song Prize.

Polaris, celebrating its 20th anniversary, and SOCAN, celebrating its 100th anniversary, announced the new Song Prize with the winning song taking home 10,000 dollars split between the song’s Canadian performers and the song’s credited Canadian songwriter(s). Similar to the Polaris Album Prize, the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize will honour the Canadian song of the year, based on artistic merit, without regard to musical genre or commercial popularity.

The 2025 SOCAN Polaris Song Prize Long List is:

• Art d’Ecco — The Traveller
• Backxwash — History Of Violence
• Backxwash — 9th Heaven
• Caribou — Honey
• Lou-Adriane Cassidy — Dis-moi dis-moi dis-moi
• Marie Davidson — Fun Times
• Yves Jarvis — Gold Filagree
• Kaytranada ft. Lou Phelps — Call U Up
• Richard Laviolette — Constant Love
• Mustafa — Gaza is Calling
• The OBGMs — Changes ft. Sate
• Klô Pelgag — Le goût des mangues
• Propagandhi — At Peace
• Reuben and the Bullhorn Singers — Powerful
• Ribbon Skirt — Wrong Planet
• Saya Gray — Shell (Of A Man)
• Snotty Nose Rez Kids — FREE (ft. Aysanabee, Drezus, Rueben George)
• Colin Stetson — The love it took to leave you
• The Weather Station — Neon Signs
• Rick White and The Sadies — Fly Away

The SOCAN Polaris Song Prize category is Polaris’ first new award since it introduced the Hall of Fame Heritage Prize in 2015. The Song Prize will feature the 20-nominee Long List, followed by a five-nominee Song Short List that will then be unveiled on July 29th. The first-ever SOCAN Polaris Song Prize winner will receive 10,000 dollars split between the song’s Canadian performers and the song’s credited Canadian songwriter(s) courtesy of SOCAN.

With Canadian musicians creating more and more single releases annually, an award in this segment provides more artists with more opportunities to be acknowledged and supported by Polaris, its partners, and the industry. Polaris aims to ensure these outstanding works receive the recognition they deserve. By expanding our awards, we strengthen our mission to celebrate and elevate the diversity and creativity of Canadian music.

The winning Polaris song will be revealed during the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony, powered by FACTOR, taking place at Toronto’s Massey Hall on Tuesday, September 16th. Tickets to the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony are on sale now via the Massey Hall website. To celebrate the Song Prize Long List, Polaris is offering 15 percent off tickets with the code POLARIS15.