Montreal’s Karkwa are the surprise winners of the 2010 Polaris Music Prize. The Quebec band beat off competition from the likes of Broken Social Scene and Tegan and Sara, with being Les Chemins De Verre being named the top Canadian album of 2010. It is the first time a francophone album has won the Polaris.

Picking up their prize along with a cheque for $20,000 at the award gala in Toronto from last year’s winners Fucked Up, Karkwa said their thank-yous in rather broken English: “It’s not industry gala… it’s not internet voting… it’s all about the music, and it means a lot to us! It’s just one prize, one album!”

The Polaris Prize is a prize given to the Canadian artist that a panel of almost 200 judges (bloggers, broadcasters, journalists and programmers) think produced the best album of the year. Sales are not taken into account. Artistic merit and the personal tastes of the judges what weigh in on the voting.

The complete list of nominees for the 2010 Polaris Prize were as follows:

The Besnard Lakes – Are The Roaring Night
Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
Caribou – Swim
Karkwa – Les Chemins de Verre
Dan Managan – Nice, Nice, Very Nice
Owen Pallett – Heartland
Radio Radio – Belmundo Regal
The Sadies – Darker Circles
Shad – TSOL
Tegan and Sara – Sainthood