Indigenous Canadian composer and musician Jeremy Dutcher wins the 2024 Polaris Music Prize for his sophomore album Motewolonuwok. This is the second time Dutcher has won the prize, the first time back in 2018 for his debut album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, making him the first two-time winner in the history of the Polaris Music Prize.
The winner was announced last night at the Polaris Gala event at Massey Hall. The album was selected as the best Canadian album of the year by a grand jury of 11 music professionals that was drawn out of a larger jury pool of over 200 music media professionals from across the country.
“Six years ago, this award changed my life. I have to give unending gratitude to this music community, please keep your hands going for all of these nominees,” said Dutcher during his acceptance speech. “Not a single album on that list sounded like each other and that speaks to the breadth of music in this place. This choir, these singers, this band, everyone who helped make this album, I love you. I didn’t think this would happen.”
A classically-trained operatic tenor and composer, Dutcher is of Maliseet descent and a member of the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick. He studied music and anthropology at Dalhousie University and began recording his debut album following a research project of archival recordings of traditional Maliseet songs, an Indigenous language no longer passed down to Maliseet youth today.
The Polaris Music Prize, worth $50,000, is awarded to a Canadian artist who creates an outstanding body of work solely based on artistic merit and not on record sales.
The 2024 Polaris Music Prize Short List included:
Bambii, Infinity Club
The Beaches, Blame My Ex
Charlotte Cardin, 99 Nights
DijahSB, The Flower That Knew
Jeremy Dutcher, Motewolonuwok
Elisapie, Inuktitut
Cindy Lee, Diamond Jubilee
Nobro, Set Your Pussy Free
Allison Russell, The Returner
TOBi, Panic
Motewolonuwok is available on all streaming platform and physically at your local music retailer.
