Headline : Chris Blackwell, Angélique Kidjo and Arvo Pärt Named 2023 Polar Music Prize Laureates

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The laureates for the 2023 Polar Music Prize have been revealed. They are Chris Blackwell, who founded Island Records, one of the U.K.’s most successful independent labels; Angélique Kidjo, dubbed “Africa’s premier diva” by Time; and Arvo Pärt, who created the minimalist compositional style known as tintinnabuli, and is one of the most-performed classical composers in the world. All three will be honored in the presence of the Swedish Royal Family at a ceremony and banquet on May 23 at Stockholm’s Grand Hotel.

The prestigious Polar Music Prize was created by Stig “Stikkan” Anderson, famed Swedish writer/producer/label owner/publisher and manager of ABBA, and first presented in 1992. This year’s laureates, who will all be in attendance, will each receive a cash prize of 600,00 Swedish kronor (approx. $58,000 U.S.).

Blackwell built an impressive roster of artists for Island, including Bob Marley, Cat Stevens, Roxy Music, Steve Winwood, Robert Palmer, Nick Drake, Melissa Etheridge, Tom Waits, Grace Jones, U2 and Marianne Faithfull. Kidjo relocated from her home country of Benin to Paris, where Blackwell heard her sing and signed her to Island. Her life of music and activism was praised by President Bill Clinton, who cited her “passionate call for freedom, dignity, and the rights of people.” Influenced by sacred music, including Gregorian chants, Pärt is known for his laconic, reduced compositions, with his style evolving from neo-classical in his early years to more avant-garde music.

Blackwell has a long history with Sweden, first traveling there in the late 1950s. In 1960, he met with Dag Haeggquist, a beloved figure in the Swedish music industry, who was running the independent Sonet label. “I really liked him,” Blackwell tells Billboard. “So when I was back in Jamaica, I did a record there and thought it sounded okay. I sent it to Dag to see if he might be interested in releasing it, and that’s what happened. It didn’t do well but I worked with Dag for many years after that.”

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