Angine de Poitrine take home both the Polaris Album Prize and SOCAN Polaris Song Prize during a celebration of Canadian music at Massey Hall.
Angine de Poitrine, Saguenay’s masked, micro-tonal, math rock duo currently dominating music spaces around the world, are the 2026 winners of both the Polaris Album Prize for their latest release, Vol. II, and the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize for their viral hit, “Fabienk.”
Determined by the 205 member Polaris jury, consisting of music media and experts from across the country, the $30,000 Polaris Album Prize and $10,000 SOCAN Polaris Song Prize are chosen without consideration for album sales or label support.
The announcement came at the end of a celebration of the best of Canadian music at Toronto’s Massey Hall that highlighted the 10 Short List nominees for this year’s prize.
The night’s performances began with the legendary singer-songwriter, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, whose album, Laughter in the Summer, was beloved for its celebration of the love between Glenn-Copeland, and his long-time partner, Elizabeth Copeland, through his 2024 diagnosis of dementia.
Charlotte Cornfield then took the stage to perform her SOCAN Polaris Song Prize nominated track, “Hurts Like Hell”, from her Polaris Album Prize nominated album of the same name. Hurts Like Hell was prized for its personal storytelling, and exploration of being young and careless.
The eclectic and intense, Les Louanges, was up next to introduce the Massey Hall crowd to his album Allouette!; his poetic tribute to Quebec, and all of its complexities in the ever changing wider world.
Following her first Polaris Music Prize short list nomination in 2024, Winnipeg’s Begonia returned to Massey Hall with her delightfully whimsical My Fantasy Life; and gave the audience a soulful and bright vocal performance they soon won’t forget!
Aquakulture was up next, bringing his album 1783 to center stage. Blending a powerful mix of R&B and gospel, 1783 is a deep exploration of Black Nova Scotian history; and Aquakulture’s sprawling performance of “Gallows” had the audience entranced.
Peaches was notably absent to celebrate her Polaris Short Listed No Lube So Rude, but she sent fellow Polaris Long List nominees, Slash Need, to provide a blistering tribute to Toronto’s gender and boundary-pushing electro-legend that spilled straight into the audience with bluster and beach balls.
Returning to the Polaris gala stage for the third time, Tanya Tagaq was hypnotic and visceral in her full-body performance of tracks from her newly nominated album Saputjiji on the Massey Hall stage.
For the second year in a row, Montreal’s Bibi Club brought their intimate and brooding brand of indie-electronia to the Polaris Music Prize stage, to celebrate their latest release, Amaro.
Closing out the night, needing no introduction, were the superstars from the stars themselves, Angine de Poitrine; whose mere presence onto the stage for their set up brought the crowd to their feet in celebration of Vol. II and “Fabienk” ahead of their Polaris victory.
Also nominated but not present was rising R&B fusion star, Rochelle Jordan, whose album Through the Wall was strong in its ‘90’s influences and production.
Lastly, the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize was also celebrated by honouring the works of Mi’kmaq singer-songwriter, the late Willie Dunn, and ‘90s alt-rockers, the Watchmen.
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