Photos by Jeff Hurd – Yves Jarvis’ All Cylinders has won the 2025 Polaris Album Prize for best Canadian album, and Mustafa has won the first-ever SOCAN Polaris Song Prize for “Gaza Is Calling.” The two Prizes, which were presented by CBC, were handed out to cap off the 2025 Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony on September 16 at Massey Hall in Toronto. Polaris honours the best Canadian music of the year based on artistic merit without regard to genre, sales history or label affiliation.
Yves Jarvis’ victory came with a $30,000 monetary reward courtesy of the Slaight Family Foundation. Mustafa receives $10,000 courtesy of SOCAN.
The 2025 Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony was broadcast live worldwide across CBC Music’s YouTube channel and CBC Gem. Individual performance videos, standout moments, and winner reveals will be available at cbcmusic.ca/polaris. There will be three opportunities to listen to highlights from the Gala on CBC Music Live via CBC Radio One and CBC Listen:
- Friday, September 19 at 2 p.m. local time on CBC Radio and CBC Listen
- Monday, September 22 at 6 p.m. local time on CBC Music and CBC Listen
- Tuesday, September 23 at 11 p.m. local time on CBC Radio and CBC Listen.
The Polaris Album Prize was determined by a Grand Jury of 11 music media professionals drawn from the greater Polaris jury pool of 205 music media jurors from across the country. This included Patrick Bateman (SiriusXM Canada), Erin Bond (CHSR), Sydney Brasil (Exclaim), Alain Brunet (Pan M 360), Jamaias DaCosta (Deejay Jams), Yara El-Soueidi (Amazon Music Canada), Simon Fournier (Freelance), Amber Goodwyn (Freelance), Peter Hemminger (CJSW), Donald Teplyske (Fervor Coulee/CJSR) and Daniel G. Wilson (New Feeling). The SOCAN Polaris Song Prize was voted on by the entire Polaris jury pool.
The 2025 Polaris Music Prize Album Short List, powered by FACTOR, was:
- Bibi Club – Feu de garde
- Lou-Adriane Cassidy – Journal d’un Loup-Garou
- Marie Davidson – City Of Clowns
- Saya Gray – SAYA
- Yves Jarvis – All Cylinders
- Mustafa – Dunya
- Nemahsis – Verbathim
- The OBGMs – SORRY, IT’S OVER
- Population II – Maintenant Jamais
- Ribbon Skirt – Bite Down
The 2025 SOCAN Polaris Song Prize Short List was:
- * Lou-Adriane Cassidy — “Dis-moi dis-moi dis-moi,” written by Lou-Adriane Cassidy and Alexandre Martel
- * Saya Gray — “SHELL (OF A MAN),” written by Saya Gray and John Mavro
- * Yves Jarvis — “Gold Filigree,” written by Yves Jarvis
- * Mustafa — “Gaza is Calling,” written by Mustafa Ahmed, Emmanuel Hailemariam, Simon Hessman and Nicolas Jaar
- * Ribbon Skirt — “Wrong Planet,” written by Tashiina Buswa and Billy Riley
The Album and Song Prize wins topped a reimagined Polaris Concert event for the charitable organization. The show, which was hosted by 2019 Polaris winner Haviah Mighty featured performances from Album Short List nominees Bibi Club, Lou-Adrienne Cassidy, Marie Davidson, Saya Gray, Yves Jarvis, Nemahsis, The OBGMs, Population II, and Ribbon Skirt. 2021 Album winner Cadence Weapon, and two-time nominee Kelly McMichael were among the presenters for the evening. The evening also featured the designation of two new hall of fame Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize albums — The Organ’s Grab That Gun via public vote, and Jane Siberry’s The Speckless Sky via Heritage Prize jury vote.
