Polar Music 
Prize Laureates

The Polar Music Prize is globally unique through its combination of yearly awarding dual musical expressions of great diversity with their musical excellence as the bridge between. The Polar Music Prize Award Committee is an independent 11-member Award Committee that selects the Laureates.

The committee receives nominations from the public as well as from the International Music Council, the UNESCO founded NGO which promotes geographical and musical diversity.

2024

Esa-PekkaSalonen

2024

NileRodgers

2023

ChrisBlackwell

2023

ArvoPärt

2023

AngéliqueKidjo

2022

IggyPop

2022

Ensembleintercontemporain

2020

DianeWarren

2020

AnnaNetrebko

2019

GrandmasterFlash

2019

Anne-Sophie
Mutter

2019

Playing ForChange

2018

Metallica

2018

The AfghanistanNational Institute
of Music

2017

WayneShorter

2017

Sting

2016

CeciliaBartoli

2016

MaxMartin

2015

EvelynGlennie

2015

EmmylouHarris

2014

PeterSellars

2014

ChuckBerry

2013

KaijaSaariaho

2013

YoussouN'Dour

2012

Yo-YoMa

2012

PaulSimon

2011

KronosQuartet

2011

PattiSmith

2010

EnnioMorricone

2010

Björk

2009

PeterGabriel

2009

José AntonioAbreu andEl Sistema

2008

RenéeFleming

2008

PinkFloyd

2007

SteveReich

2007

SonnyRollins

2006

ValeryGergiev

2006

LedZeppelin

2005

DietrichFischer-Dieskau

2005

GilbertoGil

2004

GyörgyLigeti

2004

B. B.King

2003

KeithJarrett

2002

SofiaGubaidulina

2002

MiriamMakeba

2001

KarlheinzStockhausen

2001

BurtBacharach

2001

RobertMoog

2000

BobDylan

2000

IsaacStern

1999

IannisXenakis

1999

StevieWonder

1998

RayCharles

1998

RaviShankar

1997

EricEricson

1997

BruceSpringsteen

1996

PierreBoulez

1996

JoniMitchell

1995

MstislavRostropovich

1995

EltonJohn

1994

NikolausHarnoncourt

1994

QuincyJones

1993

WitoldLutoslawski

1993

DizzyGillespie

1992

The BalticStates

1992

PaulMcCartney