It remains to be seen whether winning the third Polaris Music Prize ever handed out will push Dan Snaith into music's mainstream.

The former Dundas resident won the $20,000 prize with his band Caribou, for their 2007 album Andorra.

Alan Cross of 102.1 The Edge, and host of The Ongoing History of New Music, served as a member of the 185-person jury that participated in two rounds of voting to come up with a shortlist of Canadian albums as finalists for the country's best of the year.

A smaller 11-member grand jury chose the final winner, but Mr. Cross was not part of that group.

The prize was first awarded in 2006, modelled after the U.K's Mercury Award which was created to recognize musicians without being controlled by the music industry, or influenced by commercial success. It's been described as an award for "underdogs".

Mr. Cross said the Polaris has not yet reached the stature of its 16-year-old British cousin.

"It's growing," Mr. Cross said. "It takes a while to develop a reputation. It takes a while for it to become a national phenomenon."

While the older British version reportedly results in increased sales for the winner, the Canadian version is still finding its place.

Mr. Cross said Polaris is navigating the balance between recognizing musicians for inherently artistic reasons, with mainstream opportunity.

He said Mr. Snaith, like other Polaris nominees, has yet to achieve any mainstream success - a necessary goal for those who want to make a career of music.

"This may help him," Mr. Cross suggested. "It will at least give him $20,000 to keep doing what he wants to do.

"All of the nominees are terrific performers. (Snaith) is a terrific guy and he makes great music."

But Mr. Cross said the award is based solely on artistry and has nothing to do with sales or other influences.

"That can carry you only so far, if you want to make it your career," he said. "That takes nothing away from what (Snaith) has done, or the other nominees. It's good for them to be recognized."

Mr. Cross wondered if Canada's mainstream media will take the Polaris award as seriously as the mainstream in the United Kingdom now takes the Mercury award.

Dan Snaith has released four full-length recordings under his previous band name Manitoba and the current title Caribou, including Start Breaking my Heart, which features a single called Dundas, Ontario; Up In Flames; The Milk of Human Kindness and Andorra.

See www.caribou.fm.