Benin singer Angelique Kidjo won the 2023 Polar Music Prize, one of Europe’s top music awards, on Tuesday. She shared the honor with Britain’s Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, and Estonian composer Arvo Part. The five‑time Grammy winner, described by the prize organizers as “one of the greatest singer‑songwriters in international music,” performs in her native Fon and Yoruba languages as well as in French and English. Time magazine has dubbed her “Africa’s premier diva,” and she is best known for the hits “Agolo” and “We We.”
Chris Blackwell founded the Island Records label in Jamaica, which later signed legendary artists such as Bob Marley, Cat Stevens, Roxy Music and U2. Estonia’s Arvo Part, whom the jury called “the world’s most performed living composer,” was highlighted for his unique compositional technique, tintinnabuli, which he invented in the 1970s.
The Polar Music Prize, established in 1989 by former ABBA manager Stig Anderson, honored Iggy Pop and U.S. songwriter Diane Warren last year. The laureates will receive their 600,000 kroner (approximately $58,000) prize at a ceremony in Stockholm on May 23.
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