Watch Jan. 25 at 12 midnight ET on The Wedge

Who says good music is about record sales? Nobody, that’s who. (Except maybe Nickelback?) That’s why the Polaris Music Prize was invented – to recognize Canadian musical talent based on artistic merit. Throw sales and genre out the window and you get a pool of truly creative and diverse musicians nominated for Canada’s first monetary prize for a full-length album. This year’s nominees include Feist, Joel Plaskett, The Dears, Arcade Fire, Junior Boys and Patrick Watson. To celebrate, we’re bringing you performances from the awards ceremony, and footage of the big winner announcement. Hooray for artistry!

Patrick Watson, the four-piece band from Montreal, has had a year to remember – and that’s an understatement. Last year, they toured Europe with James Brown and released their album Close To Paradise in September. Months later, they’re saturated with critical acclaim and a Juno nomination for Best New Act. Flash forward a few more months and here they are, scoring the $20,000 Polaris Music Prize. Congratulations to Patrick Watson!

Click Here to visit the Polaris Prize site
Click here to find out more about Patrick Watson