Benin-born singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo has been announced as the recipient of the prestigious 2023 Polar Music Prize. The Polar Music Prize is awarded annually to individuals, groups and institutions for exceptional music achievements.
“To be awarded the Polar Music Prize is humbling,” Kidjo said in a press release. “I have no words to say how important this is for me. It comes with a sense of responsibility that is bestowed upon me as an artist to continue to do great work. I will do my best to be a proud recipient of the Prize through my work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, on behalf of the children, and as an ambassador of music, to help create a world in which we can all live in peace.”
The Polar Music Prize comes with a cash award of 600,000 kronor ($57,700) each. The ceremony will take place on May 23 in Stockholm.
Kidjo is a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter who has earned international recognition for her powerful voice and distinctive fusion of African, jazz, funk and Latin music styles. Kidjo gained her first rose to fame in the 1980s with her album “Pretty.” She went on to release several more critically acclaimed albums, including “Logozo,” “Aye,” and “Oremi.”
Outside of music, Kidjo is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and has worked to promote women’s rights in Africa. She has also advocated for the fight against HIV/AIDS and was named one of The Guardian’s 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World in 2011. In 2016, she launched the Batonga Foundation. The non-profit organization provides adolescent girls with mentors and safe spaces to help them learn vital life skills, gain self-confidence, understand their rights and plan their own economic future.
She is now the third artist from Africa to hold the award.
