# Every Polar Music Prize laureate, 2005–2025

Founded by ABBA manager Stig Anderson and often called the Nobel Prize of music, the Polar Music Prize usually honours one popular-music artist and one from art music each year. Here are all the laureates from 2005 to 2025, from Gilberto Gil and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau to Queen, Herbie Hancock and Barbara Hannigan. No prize was awarded in 2021 because of the pandemic.

- 112 votes · 43 items
- Sep 19, 2025 · Emil Larsson
- https://even.best/en/l/5524/every-polar-music-prize-laureate-2005-2025

## Top 43

1. **Gilberto Gil (2005)** (7 · ▲8 ▼1) — Brazil.
2. **Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (2005)** (7 · ▲7 ▼0) — Germany.
3. **Led Zeppelin (2006)** (5 · ▲5 ▼0) — United Kingdom.
4. **Valery Gergiev (2006)** (5 · ▲5 ▼0) — Russia.
5. **Pink Floyd (2008)** (5 · ▲5 ▼0) — United Kingdom.
6. **Ennio Morricone (2010)** (5 · ▲5 ▼0) — Italy.
7. **Kronos Quartet (2011)** (4 · ▲4 ▼0) — United States.
8. **Peter Sellars (2014)** (3 · ▲4 ▼1) — United States.
9. **Chuck Berry (2014)** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — United States.
10. **Evelyn Glennie (2015)** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — United Kingdom.
11. **Emmylou Harris (2015)** (2 · ▲3 ▼1) — United States.
12. **Sonny Rollins (2007)** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — United States.
13. **Steve Reich (2007)** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — United States.
14. **Peter Gabriel (2009)** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — United Kingdom.
15. **José Antonio Abreu and El Sistema (2009)** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Venezuela.
16. **Björk (2010)** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Iceland.
17. **Paul Simon (2012)** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — United States.
18. **Sting (2017)** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — United Kingdom.
19. **Anne-Sophie Mutter (2019)** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Germany.
20. **Esa-Pekka Salonen (2024)** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Finland.
21. **Barbara Hannigan (2025)** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Canada.
22. **Afghanistan National Institute of Music and Ahmad Sarmast (2018)** (1 · ▲3 ▼2) — Afghanistan.
23. **Kaija Saariaho (2013)** (1 · ▲2 ▼1) — Finland.
24. **Playing for Change (2019)** (1 · ▲2 ▼1) — United States.
25. **Diane Warren (2020)** (1 · ▲2 ▼1) — United States.
26. **Patti Smith (2011)** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — United States.
27. **Max Martin (2016)** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Sweden. The Swedish songwriter behind hits for Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift.
28. **Wayne Shorter (2017)** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — United States.
29. **Anna Netrebko (2020)** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Russia/Austria.
30. **Iggy Pop (2022)** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — United States.
31. **Ensemble intercontemporain (2022)** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — France.
32. **Chris Blackwell (2023)** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — United Kingdom.
33. **Arvo Pärt (2023)** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Estonia.
34. **Nile Rodgers (2024)** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — United States.
35. **Queen (2025)** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — United Kingdom.
36. **Renée Fleming (2008)** (0 · ▲2 ▼2) — United States.
37. **Yo-Yo Ma (2012)** (0 · ▲2 ▼2) — United States.
38. **Cecilia Bartoli (2016)** (0 · ▲1 ▼1) — Italy.
39. **Angélique Kidjo (2023)** (0 · ▲1 ▼1) — Benin.
40. **Youssou N'Dour (2013)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Senegal.
41. **Grandmaster Flash (2019)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — United States.
42. **Herbie Hancock (2025)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — United States.
43. **Metallica (2018)** (-1 · ▲0 ▼1) — United States.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.