The 2016 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 19, 2016 at The Carlu event theatre in Toronto, Ontario. The hosts of the gala were broadcasters Tom Power and Amanda Parris.
The ten-album shortlist was announced on July 14.
The prize's preliminary 40-album longlist was announced on June 15 at the Yukon Transportation Museum in Whitehorse, Yukon. It includes the 10 shortlisted albums above, as well as the following 30.
In August 2016, for the first time in the history of the awards the Polaris committee released the full list of all 232 albums that had received at least one vote in the preliminary balloting.
Nominees for the Polaris Heritage Prize, a separate award to honour classic Canadian albums released before the creation of the Polaris Prize, were announced at the main Polaris gala. The shortlists for the Heritage Prize were increased to ten nominees, from five in 2015, and two winners were named: one selected by the jurors and one selected by an audience vote. The winners were announced on October 24.
Public: Neil Young, After the Gold Rush Jury: Leonard Cohen, Songs of Leonard CohenThe Band, Music from Big PinkThe Band, The BandRobert Charlebois and Louise Forestier, LindbergGordon Lightfoot, Lightfoot!Joni Mitchell, Court and SparkThe Oscar Peterson Trio, Night TrainJackie Shane, Jackie Shane LiveNeil Young, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere Public: Rush, Moving Pictures Jury: Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Kate & Anna McGarrigleBruce Cockburn, Stealing FireD.O.A., Hardcore '81Fifth Column, To Sir With HateGlenn Gould, Bach: The Goldberg VariationsMartha and the Muffins, This Is the Ice AgeJackie Mittoo, Showcase Volume 3Rough Trade, Avoid FreudLeroy Sibbles, On Top Public: Blue Rodeo, Five Days in July Jury: Mary Margaret O'Hara, Miss AmericaDream Warriors, And Now the Legacy BeginsMaestro Fresh Wes, Symphony in EffectDaniel Lanois, AcadieSarah McLachlan, Fumbling Towards EcstasyMain Source, Breaking AtomsAlanis Morissette, Jagged Little PillJohn Oswald, PlunderphonicsThe Tragically Hip, Fully Completely Public: Arcade Fire, Funeral Jury: Lhasa de Sela, La LloronaBran Van 3000, GleeBroken Social Scene, You Forgot It in PeopleConstantines, Shine a LightThe Dears, No Cities LeftDestroyer, Streethawk: A SeductionEsthero, Breath from AnotherFeist, Let It Diek-os, Joyful Rebellion