Queen, Herbie Hancock, and Barbara Hannigan Honored with Prestigious Polar Music Prize
The 2025 Polar Music Prize ceremony was held at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, where British rockers Queen, American jazz icon Herbie Hancock, and Canadian soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan were recognized for their outstanding contributions to music. According to Stereogum, the ceremony featured several musical performances, including a rendition of Queen’s iconic song "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Tobias Forge of Swedish rockers Ghost and Opeth guitarist Fredrik Åkesson.
The Polar Music Prize is a highly regarded award that recognizes the entirety of an artist’s career, rather than a single achievement. Queen’s Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor were present at the ceremony, where they expressed their gratitude and humility in receiving the award. As Stereogum reports, Brian May said in a press release, "In this special moment, I contemplate how that younger Brian May in 1974 would have felt if he knew that we would be living this kind of dream 50 years in the future." He also mentioned that Swedish audiences have been among the most loyally supportive of Queen’s music.
The ceremony featured a range of performances, including a cover of Queen’s "Stone Cold Crazy" by Swedish Idol winner Erik Grönwall, and a rendition of "The Show Must Go On" by Swedish pop singer Miriam Bryant. Adam Lambert, a long-time collaborator with Queen, also performed two of the band’s hits, "Who Wants To Live Forever" and "Another One Bites The Dust." As noted by Stereogum, Ghost had previously covered Metallica’s "Enter Sandman" at the 2018 Polar Music Prize ceremony, and have since scored their first #1 album in America with SKELETÁ.
The Polar Music Prize ceremony is known for its eclectic lineup of performances, and this year’s event was no exception. Esperanza Spalding and Robert Glasper covered Hancock’s "Trust Me" and "Watermelon Man," while Spalding and Leo Genovese performed Joni Mitchell’s "Both Sides Now," which Hancock had covered on his Grammy-winning album River: The Joni Letters. French pianist Bertrand Chamayou also performed two pieces to honor Hannigan. Stereogum reported that footage from the evening’s performances is available to watch online.
In his acceptance speech, Roger Taylor reflected on the band’s journey, saying, "When we started our band…we had ambitions, but never dreamed of the journey that was to follow. We were fortunate in the fact that our four wildly different personalities came together to achieve a wonderful chemistry." He also praised the Polar Music Prize, saying, "The Polar Music Prize is exceptional in the fact that unlike other awards it recognizes the entirety of an artiste’s career… What an honor to be included in the glittering cavalcade of previous laureates. True Olympian company indeed. We are so proud to be the recipients of this incredibly prestigious award."
The 2025 Polar Music Prize ceremony was a fitting tribute to the contributions of Queen, Herbie Hancock, and Barbara Hannigan to the world of music. With its unique blend of performances and tributes, the event celebrated the enduring legacy of these musical icons. As Stereogum noted, the ceremony was a testament to the power of music to bring people together and transcend genres and generations.
