Two groundbreaking Canadian musicians were recognized at the Polaris Music Prize gala held at Massey Hall in Toronto on September 16, where the spotlight shone on both innovation and deeply personal storytelling.

Yves Jarvis, the Montreal-based singer-songwriter known for his experimental blend of psych-pop, was awarded the 2025 Polaris Music Prize for his album All Cylinders, released earlier this year. The award, which comes with a $30,000 cash prize, is given annually to the Canadian album judged to be the most artistically significant, without regard to genre or commercial success.

In a landmark expansion of the event, the Polaris committee introduced its first-ever Song Prize this year. The honour went to Mustafa, the Toronto-born artist and poet, for his poignant track Gaza Is Calling from his Dunya project. The song, a haunting meditation on displacement and solidarity, earned Mustafa a $10,000 prize and the distinction of being the inaugural winner in the category.

Jarvis, whose real name is Jean-Sébastien Audet, has built a reputation for defying musical boundaries. Of Métis and Franco-Albertan heritage, he began his music career in Calgary before gaining national attention with solo works that merge folk, R&B, and ambient textures. All Cylinders is his fifth full-length album, praised for its intricate production and introspective lyricism.

Mustafa Ahmed, widely known by his first name alone, is a Sudanese-Canadian artist whose work blends spoken word, folk, and R&B. A former member of Toronto’s Regent Park community, Mustafa has emerged as one of Canada’s most urgent cultural voices, with previous work exploring themes of grief, loss, and resilience in Black and Muslim communities. Gaza Is Calling continues that thread, connecting struggles across borders with poetic clarity.

The winners were selected by a jury composed of Canadian music journalists, broadcasters, and industry professionals. Other finalists in both categories included Saya Gray, Lou-Adriane Cassidy, and Ribbon Skirt, each offering their own distinct approaches to contemporary music.

The Polaris Prize, launched in 2006, has become one of Canada’s most prestigious cultural awards. Last year’s winner, Jeremy Dutcher, made history as the first artist to win the prize twice.

This year’s event underscored not just artistic excellence, but the role of Canadian music in amplifying complex emotional and political narratives. The cash prizes were funded by the Slaight Family Foundation and the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), both longstanding supporters of the Polaris initiative.

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