Eivør Pálsdóttir wins the 2021 Nordic Council Music Prize

02.11.21 | News
Eivør Pálsdóttir fick Nordiska rådets musikpris 2021

Eivør Pálsdóttir fick Nordiska rådets musikpris 2021

Photographer
Norden.org/Magnus Fröderberg
Faroese musician Eivør Pálsdóttir has won the 2021 Nordic Council Music Prize for her tireless work-ethic over the past years which has cast a spotlight on her home country and her meticulous work with her musical heritage and native language.

Eivør Pálsdóttir was presented with the prize by conductor and composer Phillip Faber during the live broadcast of the awards ceremony from the Skuespilhuset in Copenhagen on Tuesday evening. The prize is awarded on alternate years to a work by a living composer in one year and, as this year, to an ensemble or artist the next.

Rationale

The 2021 Nordic Council Music Prize goes to Eivør Pálsdóttir from the Faroe Islands. Eivør has crafted a unique career since she stepped, almost fully formed, into the music scene in her native country, the Faroe Islands. A naturally gifted musician - with a beautiful singing voice, great guitar skills and an all-encompassing stage presence - Eivør has charmed music lovers the world over. She released her first eponymous album in 2000, a folk/jazz-tinged affair but has tackled a variety of styles since then, touching on noise-rock, country, experimental, classical music and all out pop-diva material. All of these endeavours have been infused with remarkable artistry and integrity. 

Eivør’s tireless work-ethic over the past years has cast a spotlight on her home country and she meticulosity works with her musical heritage and native language. Eivør is a bona fide “Nordic” artist but at the same time she has managed to carve out a status as an international pop star, travelling around the world with her renowned stage act. A brave and curious artist, she manages to connect with her audience with remarkable ease, tapping into the humane side of all us with both dignity and grace.

About the Nordic Council’s prizes

The Nordic Council awards five prizes each year – for literature, film, music, the environment, and children’s and young people’s literature. Each prize of DKK 300,000 is awarded at a gala event during the annual Session of the Nordic Council.