Arcade Fire Win Polaris Music Prize

Arcade Fire have won the 2011 Polaris Music Prize, Canada’s equivalent of the Mercury Prize, for their album ‘The Suburbs’.

The band picked up their prize of $30,000 (£19,300) for their third album, which was chosen by a panel of 11 judges, at last night’s ceremony in Toronto.

Drummer Jeremy Gara and multiple-instrument-playing Richard Parry picked up the award and said it was a great honour.

In an acceptance speech, Gara said:

“Anyone who is under 18 and playing music and everyone who has ever been on stage and had the opportunity to play music and have someone hear it, just stick with it, because in 20 years you could be up here and have an album much better than this.”

The full shortlist of nominated albums was:

‘The Suburbs’ – Arcade Fire
‘Feel It Break’ – Austra
‘Native Speaker’ – Braids
‘Kaputt’ – Destroyer
‘Tigre Et Diesel’ – Galaxie
‘Seeds’ – Hey Rosetta!
‘Long Player Late Bloomer’ – Ron Sexsmith
‘New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges’ – Colin Stetson
‘Creep On Creepin’ On’ – Timber Timbre
‘House Of Balloons’ – The Weeknd