May 12, 2009 12:01
Peter Gabriel given prestigious Swedish award
Genesis star scoops massive cash prize
Peter Gabriel has been jointly awarded Sweden's prestigious Polar prize.
The former Genesis star won the honour alongside Venezualian composer Jose Antonio Abreau. They will both win one million kroner (£84,000) from the Royal Swedish Academy Of Music.
The prizes will be presented by King Carl XVI Gustaf at a gala ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall on August 31, reports BBC News.
The Polar Music Prize is the biggest of its kind in Sweden, and is split between pop and classical musicians. The prize committee praised Gabriel for his "ground-breaking, outward-looking and boundary-busting artistry".
Award chiefs added that he had "not only had a significant influence on the development of popular music – he has redefined the very concept".
The prize was founded by ABBA manager Stig Anderson in 1989.
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