Peter Gabriel Shares Prestigious Polar Music Prize With Venezuelan Composer

May 13, 2009 4:42 a.m. EST

Stockholm, Sweden (CNS) - British musician and record producer Peter Gabriel has been jointly awarded Sweden's prestigious Polar prize. The former Genesis star shares the honor alongside Venezuelan composer Jose Antonio Abreau.

Gabriel was honored for his "outward-looking and boundary-busting artistry," while Abreu was recognized for founding the Sistema music education program in Venezuela, which "has given hundreds of thousands the tools to leave poverty," said the Swedish Royal Academy of Music, which selects the winners.

They will each receive about $128,000 from the Royal Swedish Academy Of Music. They will formally accept the prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at a gala ceremony in Stockholm on Aug. 31, reports BBC News.

Last year's award was shared by British rock group Pink Floyd and U.S. soprano Renee Fleming.

The Polar Music Prize is the biggest of its kind in Sweden, and is split between pop and classical musicians. The prize was founded by ABBA manager Stig Anderson in 1989.