FIVE FINALIST NOMINEES REVEALED FOR SECOND EDITION OF SOCAN POLARIS SONG PRIZE

TORONTO, ON – July 29 , 2026

CBC presents the 2026 Polaris Music Prize has revealed the five nominee Short List for the second-ever edition of the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize.

Launched last year as part of Polaris’ 20th and SOCAN’s 100th anniversaries, the Song Prize rewards $10,000 for one winning song, split between the song’s Canadian performers and the song’s credited Canadian songwriter(s).

Similar to the Polaris Album Prize, the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize honours the Canadian song of the year, based on artistic merit, without regard to musical genre or commercial popularity. 

The winning song will be revealed during the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony, powered by FACTOR, taking place at Toronto’s Massey Hall on Tuesday, September 22. Tickets to the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony are on sale now via the Massey Hall website. To celebrate the Song Prize Short List, Polaris is offering 15% off tickets with the code POLARIS15.

The 2026 SOCAN Polaris Song Prize Short List is:

“Fabienk”

Angine de Poitrine 

writers:

Khn de Poitrine

Klek de Poitrine

(Third Side Music)

—

“Hurts Like Hell”

Charlotte Cornfield

writer:

Charlotte Cornfield

(Terrorbird Publishing, LLC) 

—

“Hunger For Death”

PUP

writers:

Stefan Babcock

Nestor Chumak

Zack Mykula

Steve Sladkowski

(Warner-Chappell Music Canada)

—

“House on Fire”

Patrick Watson & Martha Wainwright 

writers:

Martha Wainwright

Patrick Watson

Olivier Sebastien Fairfield

Mikhail Stein

Xu Bin Kim

Xavier Brault

Jeremie Cloutier

Robert Margaryan

(Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd. Canada, Secret City Publishing Inc)

—

“Lean”

Charlotte Day Wilson, Saya Gray 

writers:

Charlotte Day Wilson

Saya Gray

Siala Kemy

Jack Emblem

(Stone Woman Publishing, Secretly Publishing, Sony Music Publishing)

“Sometimes, a song is so powerful it stands on its own and demands to be heard, and the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize Short List honours five such unforgettable Canadian songs,” said Jennifer Brown, SOCAN CEO. “SOCAN is proud to have a partner in Polaris that understands that to truly honour a song, you must celebrate its full story — the songwriters and the craft — in addition to the voices who bring it to life.”

The Song Short List was determined from an initial 20 track Long List that was revealed on June 24. That list was:

Angine de Poitrine – Fabienk

Angine de Poitrine – Yor Zarad

Aquakultre – Gallows

Aquakultre – Holy

Begonia – My Fantasy Life

Blue Moon Marquee & Northern Cree – PUT YOUR FEATHERS ON 

Mariel Buckley – Vending Machines

Cadence Weapon, Junia-T & DijahSB – Step Out 

Charlotte Cornfield – Hurts Like Hell

Rochelle Jordan – The Boy

Les Louanges – Correct

Les Louanges – La journée va être chaude 

No Joy, Fire-Toolz – Jelly Meadow Bright

Ouri – Paris (Ft. Oli XL)

PUP – Hunger For Death

Julianna Riolino – Seed

Sloan – No Damn Fears

Arielle Soucy – Varieties of Quiet

Patrick Watson & Martha Wainwright – House on Fire

Charlotte Day Wilson – Lean (feat. Saya Gray)

The Song Prize Short List was created and voted forward by the 205 members of the Canada-wide Polaris Music Prize jury. The first-ever SOCAN Polaris Song Prize was awarded to Mustafa for “Gaza is Calling,” and was written by Mustafa Ahmed, Emmanuel Hailemariam, Simon Hessman and Nicolas Jaar. 

With Canadian musicians creating more single releases annually, an award in this segment provides artists and songwriters with additional opportunities to be acknowledged and supported by Polaris, its partners, and the industry. Polaris aims to ensure these outstanding works receive the recognition they deserve. By expanding our awards, we strengthen our mission to celebrate and elevate the diversity and creativity of Canadian music.

Key dates in the 2026 Polaris season include:

• Thursday, June 11 – 40 Album Long List announced at NXNE
• Wednesday, June 24 – 20 Song Long List announced
• Thursday, July 9 – 10 Album Short List announced
• Wednesday, July 29 – 5 Song Short List announced
• Wednesday, August 5 – Heritage Prize nominees announced; public voting opens
• Friday, August 21 – Heritage Prize public voting closes
• Tuesday, September 22 – Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony at Massey Hall
• Throughout September – Polaris Festival (programming to be announced) 

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Watch the 2026 SOCAN Polaris Song Prize Short List nominee reveal video