- Yesterday, Peter Gabriel and Venezuelan composer-conductor Jose Antonio Abreu were awarded the Polar Music Prize 2009, the "Nobel Prize in music".
"The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by the late Stig Stikkan Anderson, one of
the true greats in the history of popular music. As the publisher, lyricist and manager of
ABBA, he played a key role in their enormous success. Its name stems from Anderson´s
legendary record label, Polar Records. The Polar Music Prize is one of the most prestigious
and unique music prizes in the world, crossing over musical boundaries and awarded to
individuals, groups and institutions in recognition of exceptional achievements.
The board of the Stig Anderson Music Award Foundation includes 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 undertaken by an Award Committee comprising
of experienced members of the music industry.
Laureates from a wide range of countries, cultures and continents have received the Prize
in Stockholm from the hand of His Majesty, King Carl XVI.
The Laureates 2009: Peter Gabriel and José Antonio Abreu.
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 Gabriels artistry presents us with world music in its most meaningful sense."
Previous laureates
1992 Sir Paul McCartney and the Baltic States
1993 Dizzy Gillespie and Witold Lutoslawski
1994 Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Quincy Jones
1995 Sir Elton John and Mstislav Rostropovitch
1996 Pierre Boulez and Joni Mitchell
1997 Eric Ericson and Bruce Springsteen
1998 Ray Charles and Ravi Shankar
1999 Stevie Wonder and Iannis Xenakis
2000 Bob Dylan and Isaac Stern
2001 Burt Bacharach, Robert Moog and Karlheinz Stockhausen
2002 Sofia Gubaidulina and Miriam Makeba
2003 Keith Jarrett
2004 B.B. King and György Ligeti
2005 Gilberto Gil and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
2006 Valery Gergiev and Led Zeppelin
2007 Steve Reich and Sonny Rollins
2008 Renée Fleming and Pink Floyd
http://www.polarmusicprize.org/
- Peter Gabriel is a worthy laureate, but still - how time flies; Bowie should have been awarded this prize a long time ago. Peter Gabriel's next project 'Scratch My Back' has other artists recording one of Gabriel's songs and Gabriel in turn recording one of theirs. Among the featured artists so far are Magnetic Fields, Paul Simon and - Lou Reed. The music will be released digitally after Gabriel's upcoming solo album. No matter how the project turns out, I think it's an interesting idea.
