Queen, Herbie Hancock and Barbara Hannigan awarded the 2025 Polar Music Prize

British rock band Queen, American jazz legend Herbie Hancock, and Canadian soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan are the 2025 recipients of the Polar Music Prize.

The three acts will be presented with the prize by the Swedish royal family at a ceremony on 27 May in Stockholm.

Founded in 1989 by ABBA manager Stig Anderson, the Polar Music Prize is an annual award, usually given to one contemporary and one classical musician. Each laureate receives 1 million Swedish Krona (€91,000) and previous winners have included Paul McCartney, Chuck Berry and Ravi Shankar.

This is only the third time in the prize’s history that it hasn’t been awarded to two musicians. In 2001, three recipients were named: American musician Burt Bacharach; German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen; alongside the inventor Robert Moog, known for his MiniMoog synthesizers. Two years later, in 2003, the prize only named one recipient: American jazz composer Keith Jarrett.

The 2025 prize makes it the first time that the committee has awarded three musician recipients, one in contemporary, jazz and classical genres each.

Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon from Queen said that they were “highly and deeply honoured to be given the Polar Music Prize this year. It’s incredible, thank you so much”.

Hancock said that it “is a prestigious honour, and I am both thrilled and humbled to be a recipient. The Laureates who have come before me have left an indelible mark on humanity through their profound examples of inspiration and dedication.”

Finally, Hannigan said: “I am deeply moved and humbled to receive this year’s Polar Music Prize. Thank you so much for including me among this incredible and inspiring group of Laureates.”

Queen’s reputation as one of the most