Hitmaker Max Martin To Recieve Polar Music Prize

SWEEDEN (CelebrityAccess) — Max Martin, who has written hits for the likes of Britney Spears and one of the most successful songwriters of the last 20 years, is the recipient of this year`s Polar Music Prize Laureate as the event celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Swedish-born Martin has had a hand in 20 US number-one hits.

Paying tribute to Martin, Justin Timberlake called him "a master"

The ceremony will take place on June 16 at Stockholm’s Concert Hall, with Sweden’s King Carl XVI presenting the award. Previous winners include Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder and Burt Bacharach.

The Polar Music Prize is one of the most highly-regarded and under-publicized events in the music industry’s calendar.

Martin said: "If you can somehow influence popular culture, shape it in some way, when something becomes bigger than just a song, that’s the greatest thing for me… this is what I love about music. You can reach so many people.”

Unsurprisingly, tributes have already started flooding in: Katy Perry said: “He sets the scene to be really creative.”; Pink said, “You blow my mind and I’m really proud of you.”: Justin Timberlake said: “No one deserves it more, you are a master.”; while Britney Spears, for whom Martin wrote Baby One More Time, said, “I think you are a genius, you’ve been a part of my career from my beginning.”

The Polar Music Prize was founded by Stig Anderson, the former manager of ABBA.