Major Honor for Music Icon Nicknamed ‘Godfather of Punk’ Announced

Iggy Pop, the legendary frontman of The Stooges known as the “Godfather of Punk,” will receive the prestigious “Man With The Golden Ear” award at the 18th Soundedit International Music Producers Festival in Lodz, Poland.

The music icon will be honored during the festival, which is scheduled to take place from Oct.23 to 27. The award recognizes artists, producers, sound engineers and other music figures who have made a major contribution to recorded music.

Pop is the third honoree announced for this year’s Soundedit Festival. He joins Polish music figures Bogdan Kondracki and Ziemowit Kosmowski, who were previously named as recipients.

The “Man With The Golden Ear” award has been presented by Soundedit since 2009. Past recipients include Brian Eno, Sir George Martin, John Cale, Daniel Lanois and Tony Visconti.

According to Blabbermouth, Soundedit Festival director Maciej Werk described Pop’s recognition as an important moment for the festival, “This is a historic moment for us. After all, we’re talking about a man who defined the raw essence of punk both in the studio and on stage. His collaboration with David Bowie has become an absolute classic of music production.”

Iggy Pop’s Punk Rock Legacy Earns Major Music Honor

Pop has spent more than five decades making music in his own style. As the lead singer of The Stooges, he helped shape the raw sound that became closely linked with punk rock.

The band became known for songs such as “Search and Destroy,” “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” “Raw Power,” “T.V. Eye” and “Gimme Danger.” Pop later built a solo career that produced well-known songs including “Lust for Life” and “The Passenger.”

His work with David Bowie also became an important part of his career. The two had a long creative relationship, with Bowie helping Pop during the early years of his solo career. Their work together included Pop’s 1977 albums The Idiot and Lust for Life.

He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Stooges in 2010 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. He also received the Polar Music Prize in 2022.

The new Soundedit honor comes after another high-profile performance in 2026. In April, Pop performed at Coachella, where he played a set filled with Stooges classics and solo favorites.

Per Consequence, the Coachella set included “T.V. Eye,” “Raw Power,” “I Got a Right,” “Gimme Danger,” “The Passenger,” “Lust for Life,” “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” “Search and Destroy,” “Down on the Street,” “1970,” “Nightclubbing,” “Loose,” “1969” and “Funtime.”

During the performance, Pop also spoke about getting older. “It’s not easy being alive now … It’s not easy to be old … it’s not easy to be young,” he said.

Pop turned 79 on April 21, 2026.

The 18th Soundedit International Music Producers Festival will bring together concerts, workshops, lectures and its annual awards gala in Lodz. The festival will also feature sessions about music production and new audio technologies.

For Pop, the Soundedit award adds another major honor to a career that has already included the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Polar Music Prize.

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