Feist kicks Polaris butt, winning over Grimes and other favorites

Earlier last week, 2012's annual Polaris Music Prize was awarded to Feist for her fourth album Metals. The prestigious accolade is given to the best album of the year by a Canadian artist, who receives a $30,000 prize. Previously nominated in 2007 for The Reminder and twice with Broken Social Scene, this is Feist's first Polaris award and finds her winning over fellow Canadian talents Japandroids, Drake, Grimes, Handsome Furs, Kathleen Edwards, Weapon, and Cold Specks. The prize was awarded to Feist by Jeremy Gara and Tim Kingsbury of The Arcade Fire, who won last year for The Suburbs.

The Polaris voting process is known for its secretive and unique voting process. Over 200 Canadian journalists and professional music aficionados vote for the long and shortlist of the prize months before the award show takes place. On the night of the event, a 3-hour concert of tributes and performances takes place at the famous Toronto Concert Hall, while an 11-member jury discusses each nominated album behind closed doors. A top album is chosen by each juror and the award is given based on votes, regardless of the genre, affiliations, or commercial success of the album. The winner of the coveted prize is not known by anyone, jurors included, until it's announced on stage at the end of the live show.

Excited by her win, Feist told Rolling Stone, "I think winning the Polaris tonight is a bit like getting a Valentine from the right boy at school -- the one you wanted to give you the secret admirer Valentine because it's got this sense of secret-ness to it."