The Weeknd and Arcade Fire are among the artists in contention for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize.
The Canadian version of the UK’s Mercury Prize “honours and rewards artists who produce Canadian music albums of distinction”.
‘Blinding Lights’ hitmaker The Weeknd, 32, is nominated for his fifth studio album, ‘Dawn FM’, which reached number one in more than 10 countries, including the UK.
And the indie rock group’s acclaimed LP ‘WE’ also made the longlist.
Other notable names on the list include Orville Peck (‘Bronco’), punk rockers PUP (‘THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND’) and rock band Destroyer (‘Labyrinthitis’).
Edmonton rapper Cadence Weapon’s album ‘Parallel World’ won the 2021 prize.
Earlier this year, The Weeknd became the most listened-to artist on Spotify.
The ‘Take My Breath’ singer broke the record previously set by Justin Bieber after amassing 85.66 million monthly listeners on the streaming service, just weeks after releasing ‘Dawn FM’.
Justin’s previous record was set with just under 84 million monthly listeners.
Meanwhile, The Weeknd recently teased ‘Dawn FM’ is part of a trilogy and a third instalment will follow.
He tweeted: “I wonder… did you know you’re experiencing a new trilogy?”
The title track sees Hollywood star Jim Carrey play a radio host, who vows “we’ll be there to hold your hand and guide you through this painless transition”, before launching into the synth-heavy track, ‘Gasoline’.
The star-studded collection also features guest spots from Tyler, the Creator and Lil Wayne, while synth maestro, Oneohtrix Point Never, real name Daniel Lopatin, and Quincy Jones are listed as collaborators.
The latter contributed the heartbreaking passage, ‘A Tale By Quincy’.
The 16-track record concludes with another spoken-word piece from Carrey.
The shortlist for the Polaris Music Prize will be announced on July 14, with the overall winner announced at a ceremony in Toronto on September 19.