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The Meridian Prize is a new Canadian music award that recognizes albums from Western and Northern Canada.
According to the prize’s website, it will celebrate “works of clarity, depth, originality and integrity, honouring albums that stand as complete creative statements and mark a defining moment in an artist’s practice” and highlight albums that “expand musical language and carry lasting cultural significance.”
An independent jury comprised of festival and radio programmers, critics, curators, indie record store employees has selected the inaugural nominees, which include Juno winners Begonia, William Prince and more.
The full list is below:
Begonia, Fantasy LifeCassia Hardy, In RelationEmma Goldman, All you are is weFontine, Good BuddyFoxwarren, 2Home Front, Watch It DieJack J, Desert BlueJairus Sharif, Basis of UnityLiving Hour, Internal Drone InfinityWilliam Prince, Further from the Country
The winning musician will be announced on Oct. 3 at BreakOut West in Victoria, where they will receive $5000.
In a statement shared with Exclaim!, the Meridian Prize’s executive director Michael Dawson said his hope is for the prize to “serve as a platform for people to discover seminal albums and draw inspiration from the stories behind them.”
“Given the geographic eligibility criteria, there may be a temptation to minimize Meridian Prize as merely a ‘regional’ award,” he continued. “But it’s important to remember that the eligible region spans 6,827,019 square kilometres. That is a vast and diverse landscape whose artists make a profound impact.”