When Annie Sings, the World Watches in Silence – Annie Lennox Surprises Sting at the Polar Music Prize
The journey began when ABBA triumphed in the 1974 Eurovision Contest. Stig “Stikkan” Anderson served as ABBA’s manager and lyricist. In 1989, Anderson sold his production and music management firms to Polygram, though he continued as Chairman of the Board for Sweden Music AB and Polar Music International. Using the proceeds from the Polygram transaction, Anderson allocated MSEK 42 to establish one of the globe’s premier music awards, The Polar Music Prize. (MSEK refers to millions of Swedish krona).
The Polar Prize’s autonomous board comprises members of Anderson’s family along with distinguished figures globally. (Anderson passed away on September 12, 1997). The roster of recipients who have been awarded the certificate by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is both diverse and remarkable, including artists such as Ligeti, Arvo Pärt, Metallica, Peter Gabriel, and Angélique Kidjo. In 2017, Sting was among the two recipients. During the celebratory dinner and award presentations, the organizers delivered an unexpected surprise to the English artist in Stockholm.
YouTube comments highlight the emotional impact of Annie Lennox’s rendition of Sting’s “Fragile,” a song from his second solo album “Nothing Like the Sun” (1987). The track was composed following the death of Ben Linder, an American civil engineer who was killed by Contra “rebels” during a hydroelectric project in Nicaragua in 1987. Ivan DeSantis states, “The talent of Annie Lennox is only eclipsed by how graciously she has always carried herself. Great tribute for Sting.”
K M Carter remarks, “Sting’s version is bittersweet, Annie’s is bone-chilling and post-apocalyptic. Shattering. Beautiful.” Dattrax comments, “Sensational. Her voice. Her presence. That performance. Their mutual respect. His appreciation. This video is a masterpiece of beauty. Art that moves us. I cry every time I watch this. Thank you for posting this gem.” When The Polar Music Prize awarded Sting, it released a video showcasing his commendable accomplishments. Let’s take a look:
Congratulations, Sting. As the Polar Awards statement concludes (after detailing Sting’s numerous musical accomplishments), “Sting is a true citizen of the world, who has also been indefatigable in using his position as an arena-filling artist to promote human rights”.
Each year, typically two, but sometimes three, Polar Prizes are awarded. In 2011, the recipients were the Kronos Quartet and Patti Smith. In 2022, the Paris-based Ensemble Intercontemporain (“the Stradivarius of modern music”) and Iggy Pop received the awards. There is a dedication to acknowledging the diversity and breadth of music. In 2017, alongside Sting, Wayne Shorter was the other Polar Music Award laureate. The Polar Award webpage highlights Shorter’s accomplishments “in epoch-making groups such as Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Miles Davis’s second great Quintet and Weather Report,” as well as his contributions to key Joni Mitchell albums. Over a six-decade career, it added, Wayne Shorter composed “a number of the most enduring pieces in the history of jazz. Without Wayne Shorter’s musical explorations, modern music would not have delved so deeply”.
Aligned with the essence of the Polar Music Prize, and acknowledging that Wayne Shorter ranks alongside legends like Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman as a jazz saxophonist, let’s conclude with the Polar Music Award’s profile on Wayne Shorter. Enjoy.
