Peter Gabriel wins Polar Music Prize

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   Peter Gabriel has been awarded the Polar Music Prize.  Ever heard of it?  Me neither.  But last year Pink Floyd were winners too.
From the press announcement:

Peter Gabriel is being awarded the Polar Music Prize 2009 for his ground-breaking, outward-looking and boundary-busting artistry. As a composer, artist and person, Peter Gabriel has not only had a significant influence on the development of popular music – he has redefined the very concept. Peter Gabriel does more than just intertwine music, voice and images – his music is at once a megaphone for the global society and its most unflinching critic. Peter Gabriel’s artistry presents us with world music in its most meaningful sense.

The laureates will receive the prize from His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at a gala ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall to be followed by a celebratory banquet at Grand Hôtel on Monday 31^st of August. The ceremony will be broadcast live on national television (TV4). Later in the evening, a summary of the ceremony and the banquet will be broadcast. The event attracts international media, members of the international music business, celebrities, artists, musicians, government ministers, politicians and leading members of society and industry.

Each recipient receives a total amount of one million SEK which is equivalent to approximately USD 122 000 or EUR 92 000.

The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by the late Stig ”Stikkan” Anderson, a true legend in the history of popular music. Stig Anderson was the publisher, lyricist and manager of ABBA, and he played a key role in their enormous success. The name of the prize stems from Anderson’s legendary record label, Polar Music.

The Polar Music Prize is an international music prize which is awarded to individuals, groups or institutions in recognition of exceptional achievements in the creation and advancement of music.

The Polar Music Prize awards two laureates in order to celebrate music in all its various forms and to emphasize the original intention of the Polar Music Prize: To break down musical boundaries by bringing together people from all the different worlds of music.

The board of the Stig Anderson Music Award Foundation consists of representatives from the Stig Anderson family, SKAP (The Swedish Society of Popular Music Composers) and STIM (The Swedish Performing Rights Society). The task of scrutinizing nominations submitted and selecting the ultimate laureates is empowered The Polar Music Award Committee comprising of internationally renowned artists and musicians as well as other key figures in the music industry.

Well done Peter!!

Cheers,
Rob