Max Martin, Hitmaker Behind Britney Spears, Katy Perry & More, To Receive 2016 Polar Music Prize

Mezzo-soprano Bartoli was born in Rome and made her first appearance onstage at age 8, playing a shepherd boy in Tosca. She made her professional debut as an opera singer in 1987 and has starred in productions all over the world. She is a five-time Grammy winner, most recently in 2011, taking home the trophy for best classical vocal performance (Sacrificium).

Martin and Bartoli will each receive their awards from the hands of the King in the Stockholm Concert House. The prize carries a cash award of 1 million Swedish kronor ($118,754). The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig "Stikkan" Anderson, the manager and music publisher of ABBA. A well-known lyricist, he also was the co-writer on many of their early hits.

The prize was first presented in 1992. Anderson died in 1997; his family has taken up the mantle. Daughter Marie Ledin is managing director of the prize and actively oversees day-to-day activities. Sons Lars Anderson and Anders Anderson are members of the Polar Music Prize Award Committee, and the latter serves as chairman of the supervisory board.

Emmylou Harris & Evelyn Glennie Named 2015 Polar Music Prize Laureates

Previous winners of the Polar Music Prize include Elton John, Ray Charles, Ravi Shankar, Ennio Morricone, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Renée Fleming, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Isaac Stern, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Gilberto Gil, Joni Mitchell, B.B. King, Emmylou Harris, Yo-Yo Ma, Patti Smith, Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Dizzy Gillespie, Youssou N'Dour and Bruce Springsteen.

Although the prize is of Swedish origin, Martin is only the second Swedish-born Laureate. The first was choral conductor Eric Ericson, who received the prize in 1997.