Polar Music Prize

The Polar Music Prize is a Swedish international award founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, best known as the manager of the Swedish band ABBA, with a donation to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. The award is annually given to one contemporary musician and one classical musician. Exceptions were made in 2001, when it was awarded to three musicians (one composer, one contemporary musician and one inventor), and 2003, when it was awarded only to one musician. Without any restrictions of nationality, the prize is to be "awarded for significant achievements in music and/or musical activity, or for achievements which are found to be of great potential importance for music or musical activity, and it shall be referable to all fields within or closely connected with music". The prize has been called the " Nobel Prize of Music" in Sweden.

The awards were first presented in 1992. The recipients were Sir Paul McCartney and the three Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. Each of these four Laureates were awarded 1 million kr (approximately US$120,000 at 2016 rates, US$106,000 in 2019) presented by HM King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at a ceremony at Stockholm Concert Hall in June every year. The Polar Music Prize is regarded as Sweden's foremost musical honour. The prize is overseen by the Stig Anderson Music Award Foundation, which includes members of Anderson's family and representatives of SKAP – the Swedish Society of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and the Swedish Performing Rights Society. A committee of musicians, other experienced members of the music industry, and members of Anderson's family selects the prize recipients from nominations submitted by representatives of several international music industry organizations, such as the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance. The prize amount is raised from revenue from the donation, while the ceremony is funded by sponsors. In June, 2018 it was reported by Swedish public service radio that the Polar Prize organization has made large financial losses for several years.

The current CEO of the Polar Music Prize is Marie Ledin. Prior CEOs include Stuart Ward and Hélène Carendi.

Laureates

File:Paul McCartney black and white 2010.jpg, Paul McCartney was the first winner in 1992 and one of two people (the other being Chuck Berry) who didn't receive the award in person., alt=A serious, standing man holding his guitar with his left hand and placing his other hand on his left arm
File:Lutoslawski3.jpg, Witold Lutosławski was the first classical musician to win the award in 1993., alt=A smiling man crossing his legs and placing his left arm on the styre
File:Joni Mitchell 1983.jpg, Joni Mitchell was the first female award recipient in 1996., alt=A woman holding her guitar while looking at it
File:LedZeppelinmontage.jpg, The English band Led Zeppelin became the first musical group to win the award in 2006., alt=A montage of four musicians; from upper left to bottom right: A man with curly hair, a man with moustache looking at his drums, a short-haired man looking to the right, a curly-haired man singing with a microphone
File:Bob Moog3.jpg, Robert Moog became the first inventor to win the award for the synthesizer MiniMoog in 2001., alt=An elderly man standing on the right, alongside his three inventions
File:Polar Music Prize 2005 - Gilberto Gil and Carl XVI Gustaf.jpg, Gilberto Gil - the winner in the contemporary category in 2005, receives the prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
File:Morricone at United Nations HQ.jpg, Ennio Morricone – the only film composer to win the award in 2010
File:Björk performing at Cirque en Chantier 1 edit.jpg, Björk – the winner in the contemporary category in 2010
File:Kronos Quartet by Sachyn Mital.jpg, Kronos Quartet – winners in the classical category in 2011
File:Patti Smith (Haldern Pop Festival 2014) IMGP4121 smial wp.jpg, Patti Smith – the winner in the contemporary category in 2011
File:Paul Simon 2007.jpg, Paul Simon – the winner in the contemporary category in 2012, alt=A man playing guitar on stage with a band
File:Yo-Yo Ma - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2008.jpg, Yo-Yo Ma – the winner in the classical category in 2012, alt=A man playing on a cello, with his eyes closed and his body visible on a large screen

References

External links

*

{{Polar Music Prize

International music awards
Awards established in 1992