Toronto electronic artist Debby Friday has won the 2023 Polaris Music Prize for her debut album Good Luck, which was released in March via Sub Pop. The album received the honor awarded annually to the best Canadian album of the year. The album, featuring the standout single “So Hard to Tell,” earned Debby Friday the annual $50,000 cash prize.
A panel of writers, programmers, and broadcasters determine the nominees; 221 albums were condensed into a longlist before being narrowed to a 10-album shortlist. The shortlist included Alvvays’ Blue Rev, Feist’s Multitudes, and Daniel Caesar’s Never Enough, plus albums by Aysanabee, Begonia, Dan Mangan, Gayance, the Sadies, and Snotty Nose Rez Kids.
Last year, Pierre Kwenders won the prize for his album José Louis and the Paradox of Love. Previous winners include Cadence Weapon, Backxwash, Haviah Mighty, Jeremy Dutcher, Lido Pimienta, Arcade Fire, Tanya Tagaq, Kaytranada, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Fucked Up, Feist, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Caribou.