Fellows, Weakerthans Get Long Listed for Polaris

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The Polaris Music Prize has released its 2008 Long List, comprising the top 40 Canadian albums for the year. This year the 180 member jury -- including national music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers -- have put two Manitoba acts on that list: Christine Fellows and The Weakerthans.

The prestigious Polaris Prize, now in its third year, awards $20,000 to the best full-length Canadian album. Past winners include Final Fantasy and Patrick Watson. Unlike many awards, the jury makes its selection entirely on artistic merit and not sales figures. Polaris' Long List has not previously been made public.

Fellows' latest release, the self-produced Nevertheless, has already been garnering its fair share of acclaim, including a four star review in Spin magazine.

The Weakerthans' Reunion Tour, has also be receiving critical acclaim; Paste Magazine's Andy Whitman called them "the leading candidate for this year's Punk Pulitzer."

Fellows, who is married to Weakerthans' songwriter/vocalist John K. Samson, is currently opening for the band on their European tour dates.

The Polaris Jury will next determine the 10 album Short List, which will be revealed July 7 at the Drake Hotel in Toronto. 

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