Pink Floyd, opera star win Polar Music Prize

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – British rockers Pink Floyd and operatic soprano Renee Fleming were named winners of the 2008 Polar Music Prize on Wednesdays.

Each will receive a cash prize of $168,000 at an Aug. 26 awards ceremony in Stockholm.

The Polar Music Prize is Sweden’s biggest music award. It was founded by Stig Anderson, manager of Swedish pop group ABBA, in 1989.

The prize committee cited two-time Grammy winner Fleming’s “sublime, unparalleled voice and unique stylistic versatility.”

It said Pink Floyd, founded in the 1960s, had made a “monumental contribution” in the development of popular culture, adding that “they captured the mood and spirit of a whole generation in their reflections and attitudes.”

The prize typically is split between pop artists and classical musicians. Last year’s winners were composer Steve Reich and jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins.

Previous winners include Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Isaac Stern, Bruce Springsteen and Quincy Jones.