A Swedish Grammy win for Björn and Benny
The Export Prize goes to Benny & Björn. Photo – Scanpix
The Swedish government’s Music Export Prize 2008 was awarded to Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson for their contribution to Swedish music exports.
Minister for Trade Ewa Björling attended the Swedish Grammy Awards (Grammisgalan) in Hovet to award the prize to the winners.
The Music Export Prize for extraordinary contributions to Swedish music exports is awarded for the twelfth year in a row. The prize consists of a diploma and a glass sculpture designed by designer Dorthea Vojnic.
The jury’s motivation:
"Good pop songs are often written to capture a magical moment in time, and then – with an effect that is as close to immediate as possible – quickly produce the greatest possible impact. There are very few who are able to create pop music that both flourishes in the present and gains a lasting vitality so that the songs and the melodies live on from generation to generation. Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson belong to that exclusive few who have succeeded with this feat. In 2008, over 30 years after many of the pair’s classic songs were first heard with ABBA, they tirelessly continued to break new and completely unparalleled records. In recordings, on the musical stage and now also on film."
The other nominees included Basshunter and producer Max Martin.
Basshunter – lots of competition then!
Though I might add that Max Martin would provide quite a lot of competition too. I daresay he’s had more hit singles within the past year than B&B have, even/especially here in North America.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Martin%27s_Songwriting_and_Production_Credits
Good on the jury, though, for making the distinction between Max Martin’s throwaway pop, and the work of B&B that has lasted for decades and is still attracting new fans today.
I am happy to see B&B getting the credit they deserve.
They are still so popular today. UMG is sitting on a gold mine in regards to collector series music/video’s of ABBA. I don’t believe ABBA is quite finished impacting the world.