Angine de Poitrine wins both Polaris prizes, with 11 ADISQ nominations ahead
Angine de Poitrine performs publicly as Khn de Poitrine and Klek de Poitrine. The Saguenay, Que., duo won the 2026 Polaris Album Prize for Vol. II and the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize for “Fabienk.”
Photo credit: Constantin Monfilliette
Angine de Poitrine left Toronto’s Massey Hall on Sept. 22 with both of Polaris’s major 2026 awards. The Saguenay, Que., duo won the Polaris Album Prize for Vol. II and the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize for “Fabienk,” receiving $30,000 from the Slaight Family Foundation for the album and another $10,000 from SOCAN for the song. The awards were announced after Angine de Poitrine performed “Fabienk” during the Polaris ceremony.
The project performs publicly as Khn de Poitrine and Klek de Poitrine. The credits for Vol. II list Khn on microtonal electric guitars and Klek on drums and percussion, with both credited for the music and arrangements. Their identities beyond those names remain deliberately private: Angine de Poitrine’s own website describes the group as an anonymous art project and says speculation about its members’ identities is unverified and is not endorsed by the group.
Vol. II, the duo’s second album, was released April 3. Its six tracks are “Fabienk,” “Mata Zyklek,” “Sarniezz,” “Utzp,” “Yor Zarad” and “Angor,” with “Fabienk” now carrying the additional distinction of the 2026 SOCAN Polaris Song Prize. Polaris selected Vol. II from a 10-album short list that also included releases by Aquakultre, Begonia, Bibi Club, Charlotte Cornfield, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Rochelle Jordan, Les Louanges, Peaches and Tanya Tagaq.
The group’s public reach during the past year has extended well outside Quebec. KEXP published a full Angine de Poitrine performance in February, recorded at Trans Musicales in Rennes, France, in December 2025; the official video has accumulated more than 19 million views. On Sept. 14, Angine de Poitrine appeared as the musical guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and performed “Zugzegk.” The group’s own merchandise also identifies its 2026 U.S. dates as its first tour of the United States.
Back in Quebec, the next awards cycle is already underway. SOCAN counts 11 nominations for Angine de Poitrine at the 2026 ADISQ awards, a figure supported by ADISQ’s current nomination listings. The association’s artist page lists eight nominations, including three album categories for Vol. II, along with Group or Duo of the Year, Revelation of the Year, International Reach, Song of the Year for “Fabienk” and the songwriter category.
Vol. II also appears in three categories at ADISQ’s Industry Gala. Khn and Klek are nominated for arrangements and album production, while Dany Lemay and Gabriel Gagné Gaudreault are nominated for recording, mixing and mastering for the album. ADISQ’s Industry Gala and Premier Gala are scheduled for Nov. 4, followed by the main Gala de l’ADISQ on Nov. 8.
