Royal Celebration: Queen, Herbie Hancock, and Barbara Hannigan Honoured with Prestigious Polar Music Prize
In a grand ceremony held at Stockholm’s Grand Hôtel, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden presented the Polar Music Prize to legendary rockers Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, master jazz artist Herbie Hancock, and conductor/soprano and contemporary classical musician Barbara Hannigan. The ceremony, attended by over 500 guests, including Swedish royalty, music industry players, and friends and family of the laureates, was a testament to the enduring impact of these musical icons.
According to Billboard, the laureates delivered heartfelt speeches, with Hannigan thanking her mentors, including her twin brother Brian, while Hancock spoke of his father’s support for his musical career, despite his desire for him to become an engineer. Brian May also paid tribute to his late father Harold, who helped him build his iconic Red Special electric guitar, also known as the “Old Lady”, which May still owns today, as reported by Billboard (https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/polar-music-prize-queen-herbie-hancock-1235982291/).
The event began with a royal ceremony, followed by a multi-course banquet, where the laureates were serenaded by Swedish and international musicians playing music written by or performed by the three musical icons during their careers. The performances included a rendition of Hancock’s “Trust Me” by jazz vocalist/bassist Esperanza Spalding and pianist/producer Robert Glasper, which received a standing ovation, as noted by Billboard in their article on the Polar Music Prize.
The evening also featured Adam Lambert’s versions of Queen’s “Who Wants to Live Forever” and “Another One Bites the Dust”, which were met with ovations from the audience. However, the biggest ovation of the night went to Sweden’s Ghost, who performed a tour-de-force on “Bohemian Rhapsody” with frontman Tobias Forge donning a golden mask and accompanied by Swedish heavy metal guitarist Fredrik Åkesson and the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir.
As the evening drew to a close, Marie Ledin, managing director of the Polar Music Prize and daughter of the award’s founder, ABBA manager Stig “Stikkan” Anderson, thanked her father, her mother Gudrun, the Royal Family, the laureates, and the assembled audience. Ledin praised each of the laureates, saying, “Queen – this much-loved band are truly rock royalty!… Herbie Hancock is a true musical pioneer and one of the most influential musicians of our time… Barbara Hannigan is a visionary soprano and conductor, and a passionate advocate for contemporary music,” as quoted by Billboard in their coverage of the Polar Music Prize.
The 2025 laureates were also honoured by the presence of three previous laureates, Max Martin (2016), Anne-Sophie Mutter (2019), and Nile Rodgers (2024). The Polar Music Prize, first awarded in 1992, has grown in prestige over the years, with past winners including Elton John, Ravi Shankar, Metallica, Ennio Morricone, Led Zeppelin, Renée Fleming, Grandmaster Flash, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Isaac Stern, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Sonny Rollins, Diane Warren, Gilberto Gil, B.B. King, Emmylou Harris, Yo-Yo Ma, Miriam Makeba, Björk, Wayne Shorter, Patti Smith, Dizzy Gillespie, Chris Blackwell, Iggy Pop, Angélique Kidjo, the Kronos Quartet, Youssou N’Dour, and Chuck Berry, according to Billboard.
The Polar Music Prize is considered one of the most prestigious music awards in the world, and this year’s ceremony was a fitting tribute to the enduring legacy of Queen, Herbie Hancock, and Barbara Hannigan. As Billboard noted, the event was a celebration of music’s power to bring people together and transcend genres and generations. The article from Billboard (https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/polar-music-prize-queen-herbie-hancock-1235982291/) provided detailed insights into the ceremony and the laureates’ speeches, highlighting the significance of the Polar Music Prize in the music industry.
Source link
