Jeremy Dutcher has won this year’s Polaris Music Prize for Motewolonuwok, becoming the first artist or group to win the award twice. The honor, which comes with a $50,000 prize, goes to the best Canadian album of the year as chosen by a jury of journalists and broadcasters. The awards gala went down tonight at Toronto’s Massey Hall.

Dutcher, an Indigenous singer and classical composer from Fredericton, New Brunswick, released his sophomore album Motewolonuwok on Secret City last fall, and it was his first featuring original songs and first with lyrics in English. His debut album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, was awarded the Polaris Music Prize in 2018.

Motewolonuwok was chosen from a shortlist that also included Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee, the Beaches’ Blame My Ex, Allison Russell’s The Returner, BAMBII’s INFINITY CLUB, Charlotte Cardin’s 99 Nights, DijahSB’s The Flower That Knew, Elisapie’s Inuktitut, NOBRO’s Set Your Pussy Free, and TOBi’s Panic.

Last year‘s winner was GOOD LUCK by Debby Friday, who served as the host of tonight’s event.