ABBA receives an important Swedish award after almost fifty years

The Swedish pop group ABBA has received a high royal honor. Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Reuss (formerly Lyngstad) were presented with the Swedish Order of Vasa by King Carl Gustaf at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

The popular pop group was ordered because of their “exceptional achievements in the Swedish and international music industry”.

View images of the ceremony here:

ABBA is one of the most successful bands in the world with more than 200 million albums sold. The success started when ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with Waterloo. Major international successes followed with songs such as SOS, Mamma Mia and Dancing Queen.

The band consisted of two couples, Agnetha and Björn and Benny and Anni-Frid. The marriages ultimately did not last and that also meant the end of the pop group in 1983. A temporary break was taken, which ultimately turned out to be permanent.

For the first time in almost 50 years

The awarding of the Order of Vasa coincides with the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s Eurovision win with Waterloo in 1974. It is one of the most important royal honors in Sweden and has been awarded for the first time in almost fifty years.

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A year after ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest, it was decided that from now on only foreign citizens would be allowed to receive the Swedish order. Last year that decision was reversed, also for some other Swedish orders. The first Vasa orders were awarded today.