Barbara Hannigan Wins 2025 Polar Music Prize

Canadian soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan has been named a recipient of the 2025 Polar Music Prize, alongside British rock band Queen and jazz legend Herbie Hancock.

Founded in 1989 by former ABBA manager Stig Anderson, the prize is awarded annually to individuals or groups for outstanding achievements in music. It includes a cash award of one million Swedish kronor (approximately £74,000). The award ceremony will take place in Stockholm on May 27, 2025.

Hannigan is currently Principal Guest Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and l’Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, as well as an Associate Artist with the London Symphony Orchestra. In 2026, she will assume the role of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.

As a soprano, she has performed at prestigious venues such as London’s Royal Opera House, Naples’ Teatro San Carlo, the Palais Garnier in Paris, New York’s Lincoln Center, and the opera houses of Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich.

Winners of the Polar Music Prize are selected by an independent panel of 11 members, with nominations coming from both the public and the International Music Council, a UNESCO-founded organization dedicated to promoting musical and geographical diversity.