2011 Polaris Music Prize Predictions

September 16th, 2011

This Monday night the winner of the 2011 Polaris Music Prize will be decided at a gala inside Toronto’s Masonic Temple. A grand jury of 11 men and women will be locked away in a room where they argue, fight, scream, cry and eventually agree on who will take home the oversized $30,000 cheque. As usual, the competition is pretty stiff and everyone is making predictions on who they feel will be the winner, because who doesn’t want bragging rights? This includes us. So a few of us here in the MuchMusic office have made our picks…

Allison Bowsher
Who will win: Arcade Fire. They released an album that possesses the rare quality of having its accolades match its quality. Few records have made the masses appreciate a ground-breaking, risk-taking album like The Suburbs.
Who deserves to win: Arcade Fire. A win for Arcade Fire is a win for the Canadian music community (and for Win). Few other bands are as collaborative or supportive of their fellow musicians.
The dark horse: Ron Sexsmith. A real musician’s musician, Sexsmith has created an impressive fan base of some of today’s biggest artists, but has yet to become a household name even in his native Canada.

Jessica Ford
Who deserves to win: Arcade Fire. Duh! Forget best Canadian album, The Suburbs would win best album even if it was up against every album in the world. Oh wait it did. See: Grammys 2011.
Who will win: Braids. I feel this one in my gut. The jury will give them the votes to put them over the edge based on their crazy imagination and youthfulness.
The dark horse: Colin Stetson. The first time I heard a song from this album I thought, “So when does the bass sax come in?” Then I realized I had already been listening to it for a whole minute.

Kyle Joe
Who deserves to win: Arcade Fire. It’s no question the best of the pack when listening to each album as a whole. But they’ve reached the top already and won’t be given more praise
Who will win: Austra. The Jury loves the up-and-comers and this album actually stands up to the hype.
The dark horse:The Weeknd. The buzziest, non-released album of the year. This guy doesn’t even want to be nominated, which is more reason to do so.

Cam Lindsay
Who deserves to win: Destroyer. It was the number one pick on my Polaris ballot, so I’m sticking to my guns.
Who will win: Colin Stetson. He’s arguably the most divisive artist of the bunch, but much like inaugural winner Final Fantasy, he stands out as the avant-garde artist in a crowd of pop music. It would be quite the statement to crown a bass saxophonist the winner.
The dark horse: Braids. They’re not considered favourites, but they made an album that is artistically rich and complex, yet surprisingly accessible. Also, it only cost them $500 to make, so that alone is worth some consideration.

Kristine Luciw
Who deserves to win: Arcade Fire. Because I said so.
Who will win:The Weeknd. Because I said so.
The dark horse:Austra. Because I said so.

Jason Richards
Who deserves to win: Austra. Because it’s the most innovative yet accessible album on the list.
Who will win: Galaxie. Because they’re from Quebec.
The dark horse: Colin Stetson. You crazy for this one, Colin.

Simone Zucker
Who deserves to win: Arcade Fire. Because they had arguably one of the best albums of the year and they’d probably donate the 30 grand to Haiti.
Who will win: Colin Stetson. Because Polaris loves to give the prize to the underdogs.
The dark horse: Colin Stetson. Because his album is the least accessible of the bunch, yet he’s had a huge year, releasing his sophomore album and playing with Arcade Fire, Timber Timbre and Bon Iver.

You can watch the 2011 Polaris Music Prize gala live here on MuchMusic.com Monday night at 8:00 PM EST and on television Saturday, September 24th at 10:00 PM EST. Also tune in to The Wedge this week where Damian, who is doubling as the Polaris co-host will take you backstage at the gala for an intimate, behind-the-scenes look.

Tags: Polaris Music Prize