Quebec rock duo Angine de Poitrine won the 2026 Polaris Album Prize for Vol. 2 and the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize for “Fabienk” on September 22, 2026, according to the Polaris Music Prize organization. The awards were presented during the 2026 Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony powered by FACTOR at Massey Hall in Toronto and presented by CBC.
Double Victory at Massey Hall in Toronto
The Polaris Music Prize honors Canadian music based strictly on artistic merit, ignoring genre boundaries, sales histories, and label affiliations. Angine de Poitrine secured a $30,000 monetary award for the album win from the Slaight Family Foundation, alongside an extra $10,000 prize from SOCAN for their winning track, as reported by the Polaris Music Prize organization.
“That all this attention is being directed toward music this rock-driven and this complex is unexpected, yet entirely deserved,” said Angine de Poitrine’s manager, Sébastien Collin, in a statement provided to the organization. “This artistic project is the result of a lifetime of refinement, collaboration, a drive to push beyond one’s limits, and a refusal to be confined by any established framework.”
The Album and Song Prize winners were revealed by two-time Polaris Album winner Jeremy Dutcher and Cameron Kennedy, who serves as SOCAN’s chief membership officer. The announcement immediately followed a live performance of “Fabienk” by Angine de Poitrine.
Heritage Prize Honorees and Short List Contenders
Alongside the main competitive categories, the event celebrated classic Canadian recordings. According to the Polaris Music Prize organization, The Watchmen and the late Willie Dunn received 2026 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize designations for their landmark albums McLaren Furnace Room and Willie Dunn (1971), respectively.
The 2026 Album Short List featured a diverse group of nominees:
- Angine de Poitrine – Vol. II
- Aquakultre – 1783
- Begonia – Fantasy Life
- Bibi Club – Amaro
- Charlotte Cornfield – Hurts Like Hell
- Beverly Glenn-Copeland – Laughter In Summer
- Rochelle Jordan – Through The Wall
- Les Louanges – Alouette!
- Peaches – No Lube So Rude
- Tanya Tagaq – Saputjiji
The SOCAN Polaris Song Prize Short List included tracks by Angine de Poitrine, Charlotte Cornfield, PUP, Patrick Watson with Martha Wainwright, and the collaborative team of Charlotte Day Wilson and Saya Gray.
Behind the 205-Member Jury Selection Process
Winners across both categories are chosen by a 205-member Polaris jury, which includes music media and experts from across Canada. According to the organization, the selection process relies on multiple rounds of voting that narrow down eligible submissions into official Long Lists and Short Lists, culminating in Grand Jury presentation and debate sessions.
The evening at Massey Hall featured performances by several Album Short List nominees, including Aquakultre, Begonia, Bibi Club, Beverly Glenn-Copeland with Elizabeth Copeland, Charlotte Cornfield, Les Louanges, and Tanya Tagaq. Long List nominees Slash also performed an interpretation of Peaches’ nominated work.
CBC recorded the 2026 Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony for a forthcoming episode of the CBC Music Presents: Live At Massey Hall series. Fans can view individual performance videos and winner reveals on the official CBC Music platform.