Angelique Kidjo has been awarded the 2023 Polar Music Prize

On Tuesday, Benin singer Angelique Kidjo won the 2023 Polar Music Prize, one of Europe's top music prizes, alongside Island Records founder Chris Blackwell and Estonian composer Arvo Part. The five-time Grammy winner, described as "one of the greatest singer-songwriters in international music" by the organizers of Sweden's Polar Music Prize, sings in her native Fon and Yoruba languages, as well as French and English. Time magazine dubbed her "Africa's premier diva," and she is best known for her hits "Agolo" and "We We." In Jamaica, Blackwell founded the Island Records label, which went on to sign legendary artists such as Bob Marley, Cat Stevens, Roxy Music, and U2. Arvo Part of Estonia, described by the jury as "the world's most performed living composer," was singled out for his "unique compositional technique, tintinnabuli," which he invented in the 1970s. The Polar Music Prize was established in 1989 by former ABBA manager Stig Anderson and honored Iggy Pop and US songwriter Diane Warren last year. On May 23, the laureates will receive their 600,000 kroner ($58,000) prize at a ceremony in Stockholm.