
Poet, singer and songwriter Patti Smith will be awarded Sweden's prestigious Polar Music Prize by King Carl XVI Gustaf in a ceremony in Stockholm later this year.
The prize, founded in 1989 by the late Stig Anderson (manager of Abba), is Sweden’s highest music honour, with last year’s winners including iconic Icelandic singer Björk. Smith, who is sometimes referred to as the ‘Godmother of Punk’ has been lauded with praise by the Royal Swedish Academy of Music for her trailblazing work which has fused poetry and rock.
Previous winners of the prize include Paul McCartney, Elton John, Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Pink Floyd, Sonny Rollins, B.B. King and Bob Dylan.