Backxwash has been awarded the 2020 Polaris Music Prize for her latest album God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It. Each year, the award goes to the best Canadian album of the year, and this year’s competition included Caribou’s Suddenly, Lido Pimienta’s Miss Colombia, U.S. Girls’ Heavy Light, and Kaytranada’s Bubba.
This marks the Montreal-based, Zambia-born artist’s first Polaris Music Prize nomination and win. At the end of the livestreamed awards show, which featured short films inspired by the artists who had been nominated, last year’s winner Haviah Mighty tuned in to present the award to Backxwash, who thanked Black Dresses (“the greatest band to have ever lived in the entire existence of the Earth”) and “all the queers who listen to me on Twitter.” With her win, Backxwash made history as the first Black transgender artist to win the prize. Prize winners receive $50,000 CAD, with those on the short list receiving $3,000 CAD.
Watch the full event below, including a Q&A with Backxwash.
OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!! NO HOMO BUT WE DID ACTUALLY BRING HORRORCORE TO THE POLARIS
— Backxwash (@backxwash) October 20, 2020
