Canadian Musician September / October 2019

AND THE AWARD GOES TO... CHANGES Polaris Short List Revealed The Polaris Music Prize has unveiled the 10 albums on its 2019 Short List. They are: Stay Tuned! by Dominique Fils-Aimé; The Ballad of the Runaway Girl by Elisapie; Le Mal by FET.NAT; 13 th Floor by Haviah Mighty; Being Human in Public by Jessie Reyez; La nuit est une panthère by Les Louanges; Working Class Woman by Marie Davidson; Morbid Stuff by PUP; A Short Story About a War by Shad; and Trapline by Snotty Nose Rez Kids. The Polaris Music Prize awards $50,000 to the artist who creates the best Canadian album of the year, judged solely on artistic merit and without consideration for genre or record sales. The nine other nomi- nated acts on the short list will each receive $3,000 from Slaight Music. Albums eligible for this year’s prize had to be released between May 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019. The 2019 winner will be determined at the Polaris Music Prize Gala in Toronto on Sept. 16 th , which the CBC will livestream at www.cbcmusic.ca/polaris. For more information, go to www.polarismusicprize.ca. The Western Cana- dian Music Alliance has announced that Susan Aglukark will be the 2019 inductee into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The award will be SUSAN AGLUKARK presented to Aglu- kark on Oct. 3 rd at the WCMA Artists Awards Reception, taking place during BreakOut West in Whitehorse, YT. During a career that has spanned more than 25 years, Aglukark has been recognized as the first Inuk artist to win a JUNO Award, of which she has won three. She has also re- ceived a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for lifetime artistic achievement and is an officer of the Order of Canada. “It is truly an honour to receive this award,” says Aglukark. “I believe we are living in times when our collective stories are more potent in the larger Canadian/historical con- text and what a privilege to have opportuni- ties to tell these truths. Matna! Thank you!” For more information, go to www.breakoutwest.ca. 14 CANADIAN MUSICIAN 2019 CCMA Award Nominations Revealed; Dallas Smith & Billy Ray Cyrus to Co-Host The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) has announced its nominees for the 2019 CCMA Awards, which will be handed out in Calgary on Sept. 8 th and 9 th . Leading the pack with five nomi- nations each are James Barker Band DALLAS SMITH AT THE 2018 CCMA AWARDS and Brett Kissel. As well, the CCMA has announced that the co-hosts for the televised awards show on Sept. 9 th will be CCMA Male Artist of the Year Dallas Smith and recent Billboard record-break- ing singer, songwriter, and actor Billy Ray Cyrus. Kissel is nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Fans’ Choice Award, Interactive Artist or Group of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, and Songwriter(s) of the Year. James Barker Band will compete to take home wins in the Fans’ Choice Award, Interactive Artist or Group of the Year, Group or Duo of the Year, Single of the Year, and Songwriter(s) of the Year categories. Following closely behind with four nominations apiece are Paul Brandt, Lindsay Ell, Tim Hicks, The Reklaws, Tenille Townes, and Dallas Smith. Returning to the 2019 CCMA Awards broadcast after a 30-year hiatus, the Entertainer of the Year Award will see Brandt, Dean Brody, Hicks, Kissel, and Smith go head-to-head to win the most coveted award of the night. The 2019 CCMA Awards will be broadcast and livestreamed by Global. For more information and a full list of nominations, go to www.ccma.org. Susan Aglukark to be Inducted into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame

Canadian Musician September / October 2019 | Page 14