Get the latest gossip
Nile Rodgers & Esa-Pekka Salonen Celebrated as 2024 Laureates at Sweden’s Polar Music Prize
Nile Rodgers and Esa-Pekka Salonen received 2024 Polar Music Prizes from King Carl XVI Gustaf at a royal ceremony held at Stockholm’s Grand Hotel.
Among the many Rodgers hits heard during the ceremony and banquet were “We Are Family,” “Le Freak,” “Get Lucky,” “Good Times,” “I’m Coming Out,” “Material Girl,” “Let’s Dance,” “Spacer” and “Everybody Dance.” Salonen’s music was represented by many classical pieces and a stunning rendition of “Innan Kärleken Kom” (“Before Love Came”) sung by Eva Dahlgren, who wrote the lyrics for a 1995 album. Near the end of the royal banquet, Polar Music Prize managing director Marie Ledin, the daughter of the late Stig Anderson, told the assembled guests of her personal connections to the two Laureates. King, Burt Bacharach, Sting, Renée Fleming, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, Quincy Jones, Yo-Yo Ma, Max Martin, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Angélique Kidjo, Patti Smith, Wayne Shorter, Björk, Metallica, Diane Warren, Ray Charles, Ravi Shankar, Chris Blackwell, Dizzy Gillespie, Miriam Makeba, Iggy Pop, Grandmaster Flash, Yousou N’Dour, Gilberto Gil, Sonny Rollins and Isaac Stern.
Or read this on Billboard
