The Polaris Music Prize will soon be awarded. Here’s who Charlotte Cardin is rooting for

Charlotte Cardin can’t wait.
On Tuesday night at Massey Hall, the 19th edition of the Polaris Music Prize — honouring the best Canadian album of the year — will be presented, and the pop chanteuse’s “99 Nights” will be competing with nine others: folk, R&B and Americana singer-songwriter Allison Russell’s “The Returner”; electronic music producer and DJ BAMBII’s “Infinity Club”; experimental rocker Cindy Lee’s “Diamond Jubilee”; rapper DijahSB’s “The Flower That Knew”; singer Elisapie’s covers album “Inuktitut”; garage punks NOBRO’s “Set Your P—sy Free”; indie rockers the Beaches’ “Blame My Ex”; R&B crooner TOBi’s “Panic”; and singer-composer Jeremy Dutcher’s “Motewolonuwok.”
After a night-long deliberation of a yet-to-be announced 11-member grand jury and a few hours of performances by the majority of shortlist contenders that will be hosted by last year’s victor, Debby Friday, the winner will be awarded $50,000 courtesy of the Slaight Family Foundation.
Cardin, 29, said she’s excited to be on the short list, which was determined via ballot by over 200 music media tastemakers — especially since it surpasses the longlist showing of her 2021 debut album, “Phoenix.”
“I am superexcited about this very special award,” said Cardin in a recent interview with the Star. “A lot of artists that I love have been nominated in the past, and even this year as well. It’s really nice to be a part of those names and the short list.”
The former model, who divides her time between Paris and Montreal, is no stranger to accolades. She’s won six Juno Awards — two of them earlier this spring for album and pop album of the year — and was just in Toronto to accept Billboard Canada’s Woman of the Year award.
Cardin said she looks forward to socializing at Massey Hall with some of the nominees she’s never met.
“I’ve met the Beaches a couple of times and BAMBII and Elisapie — she’s from Montreal as well … but it’s so nice that events like this also allow us to build our community in a bit of a stronger way, because we don’t have that many opportunities to meet the other artists,” she said.
“The music scene in Montreal is awesome, but it feels like a bubble and it hasn’t always mingled with the other Canadian music scenes. So, in the last few years, I’m grateful that I’ve been a part of events and a lot of touring that has introduced me to a bunch of other Canadian artists that aren’t from Montreal. And the Polaris prize, because it’s based on merit, is a great way you can mingle with different artists that you wouldn’t necessarily run into on your normal touring schedule.”
Cardin is also thrilled about her Polaris showing because it celebrates a project full of pop whimsy.
“We had so much fun writing ‘99 Nights,’” she said. “The only thing we wanted to do was to not limit ourselves to one genre or one idea. It was just about exploring and playing with all these different sounds that I hadn’t really explored before.
“The album means a lot to me, and especially the context in which we wrote it. It was such a freeing, fun moment in my life. So seeing that the album is getting the recognition it’s getting is extra-special.”
As she prepares to start writing her followup project, Cardin says that “99 Nights” opened a lot of “really great doors” for her throughout 2024.
“The most important thing the album did is, it took our touring to the next level,” Cardin admitted. “We’ve played much bigger venues than we used to all across Canada. Locally, we played four arena shows in Montreal. Those are my first-ever arena shows and are experiences that I will never forget.”
While Cardin will be performing at the Polaris ceremony, a couple of artists won’t be able to make it.
Allison Russell has other commitments, but a ballet group will be performing to her song “Eve Was Black” from “The Returner.” 
Also, the reclusive Cindy Lee will not be attending, but will be sending something on video.
Amber Moyle, Polaris Music Prize executive director, said the gala’s relocation from the Carlu to Massey Hall last year determined a number of changes being implemented for 2024.
“The move last year was such a big change for us,” Moyle said in an interview. “It took us almost half a year to secure that new location. We really didn’t make that many changes outside of programming because the shift to a new venue was enough.”
Though last year’s two-hour show was host-free, bringing electronic artist Debby Friday on board to present this year was important.
“We definitely heard from folks that they missed that element,” Moyle said.
Moyle also said that having achieved charity status, the organization, which can now issue tax receipts for future ticketed events, is now looking for more “community partners and more Canada-wide activations” to keep Polaris from being too Ontario-centric.
“We became a charity, and I think that clarified what our mission is as an organization, in celebration of music as an art,” Moyle said. “All of our future planning is going to be made with that goal in mind. We’re going to stay in that lane and really own that lane.”
Other changes: unlike several years prior, there will be no monetary award for runners-up; also, more visibility.
“We’re going to do a little more public marketing and outreach,” Moyle said. “The (music) industry knows about us and what we do, but I’m not sure the public does.”
Moyle said that the move to Massey has tripled audience capacity — and as of the day of this interview, 500 public tickets to the gala had been sold.
So, who does Charlotte Cardin pick to win the prize?
“I haven’t listened to all the albums, but I’ve listened to a lot of them,” she confessed. “I love BAMBII, I love her style and I think her album is really great.
“The Beaches have been really killing it and … from the few performances I have seen — like at the Junos — I’ve found them so solid live, and that really makes me root for them, so I’d be really happy for them if they won.
“And Elisapie — I have so much respect for her. I find her absolutely brilliant and kind and so incredibly smart, so I would really be happy if she took it home. I’m also excited because the list is very female-dominated this year, which isn’t something that usually happens.”
Cardin conceded that she would be thrilled to be called to the podium at the end of the night — and would be happy to just “hang out” after deliberators have chosen the winner.
But the placement of “99 Nights” on the short list has already exceeded her hopes.
“Winning would be a huge plus — as we all love to win,” she said. “But I feel like everyone there is very deserving.”