Thanks for all your support regarding the Polaris Prize and sorry it's taken so long to write this message. I was completely overwhelmed and overjoyed to have been chosen from such a great list of albums. I was also overwhelmed and felt a responsibility at being given the prize money out of the blue!
I'm in the early stages of recording my new album and part of the prize money will go towards that. I have also chosen to give some of the prize money to two Canadian charities:
The first is Ecojustice.
I have always thought of Canada as an environmentally progressive place, something which I believe was reflected in my education in the Canadian public school system. However, recently the Canadian government has acted as a global obstacle to climate action. In a study this year Canada ranked 29th out of 30 industrialized nations for tackling climate change. With another term of Conservative government beginning that looks unlikely to change which is why I believe it's important not only to address climate change individually but also to fight for environmentally sound legislation in Canada. This is Ecojustice's mandate and why I chose to support them. Read more about them and their projects here.
The second charity I have chosen is the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
They fund community based projects in Sub-Saharan Africa which address the fact that the AIDS epidemic affects not only those infected but their care networks and communities as a whole, emphasizing women, orphans and grandmothers. The Stephen Lewis Foundation's excellent track record and thoughtfulness in getting donations to the places and programs where it will make the most difference is an excellent example of Canadian humanitarian action globally. Read more about all their programs here.
Also, the gala is going to be aired on TV in Canada tomorrow - full details below.
Thanks again for all the kind words and messages,
Dan
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Rogers Presents The Polaris Music Prize on Citytv
Not Your Average Music Award Show!
Saturday, November 8th
Broadcast Schedule is as follows:
Citytv Toronto, Saturday, November 8th at 7pm ET
Citytv Winnipeg, Saturday, November 8th at 7pm CT
Citytv Calgary, Saturday, November 8th at 7pm MT
Citytv Edmonton, Saturday, November 8th at 7pm MT
Citytv Vancouver, Saturday, November 8th at 7pm PT
Tune into Citytv this coming Saturday Nov. 08 for an hour of exciting and eclectic Canadian music featuring 10 diverse and must-see performances building up to the announcement of this year's $20,000 dollar Polaris Music Prize. Performers include Vancouver's Black Mountain, London Ontario city mates Shad and Basia Bulat, Toronto's Holy Fuck, Ottawa's Kathleen Edwards, Montréal's Plants and Animals, and Charlottetown's Two Hours Traffic. Fellow nominees Stars from Montréal, Caribou from Dundas, Ontario and The Weakerthans from Winnipeg, Manitoba will represented by exclusive video performances.