LED ZEPPELIN Receive Polar Music Prize In Stockholm

May 22, 2006

Irish Examiner is reporting that the surviving members of legendary rock band LED ZEPPELIN received the prestigious Polar Music Prize from Sweden's king today (May 22) in the city where they recorded their final studio album 27 years ago.

Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones crossed the stage of the Stockholm Concert Hall — also the venue for the annual Nobel Prizes — to accept the award they shared with Russian conductor Valery Gergiev. John Bonham, the group's drummer, who died in 1980, was represented by his daughter, Zoe.

In a short acceptance speech, Plant recalled that LED ZEPPELIN recorded their last studio album, "In Through the Out Door", in a Stockholm studio in 1979.

"It's a long time ago. Music has been a fantastic passport to us all," he said.

The award, which is typically split between pop artists and classical musicians, was founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, manager of Swedish pop group ABBA, through a donation to The Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Each prize winner collects 1 million kronor (around €100,000).

The name of the prize comes from Andersson's record label, Polar Records.

John Lord, a former member of DEEP PURPLE, read the academy's citation, calling LED ZEPPELIN "one of the great pioneers of rock."

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