Pink Floyd have been named joint winners of the 2008 Polar Music Prize, Sweden's biggest music award. It was founded by Stig Anderson, manager of Swedish pop group Abba, in 1989.
The Polar Music Prize committee said Pink Floyd had made a “monumental contribution” in the development of popular culture. “They captured the mood and spirit of a whole generation in their reflections and attitudes,” it said.
The band will receive a prize of £85,000 - not that they need it - at an award ceremony in Stockholm on 26 August.
The prize is typically split between pop artists and classical musicians, and 2008 sees American soprano Renee Fleming triumphing alongside Pink Floyd. Last year's awards went to composer Steve Reich and jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, while previous winners include Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and producer Quincy Jones.
The hot question now is: will the award get David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Rick Wright and Nick Mason back in the same room together?
By Michael Leonard
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