TORONTO — Jeremy Dutcher has won the Polaris Music Prize for his second album, “Motewolonuwok.”
For the first time in the award’s 19-year history, the $50,000 prize for best Canadian album of the year went to a musician who previously took home the prize.
“Six years ago, I put out my first record; this award changed my life,” he told a cheering crowd at Massey Hall in Toronto.
Dutcher picked up the 2018 Polaris for his debut album, “Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa,” which featured the operatic tenor duetting in the Wolastoq language with archival recordings of his ancestors.
His latest album revisits some of those ideas but also incorporates songs written at least partly in English. He’s described the record as confronting the nuances of the modern Indigenous experience, from its sorrow to its joy.
Dutcher said bringing English into the concept was a decision to meet partway with the listeners he acquired in the years after his first Polaris win.
He encouraged a similar sort of unity in all corners of society.
“This time is so sick — we need to bring love. Love and understanding,” he added.
“We need peace, that’s it. We need leaders that say what they’re going to do and do what they say.”
The Polaris is considered one of the country’s most prestigious music awards.
Previous winners include Haviah Mighty, Kaytranada, Pierre Kwenders and Debby Friday, who hosted this year’s proceedings.
The winner receives a $50,000 cash prize and heightened global awareness for their album.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
