Nordic Council prizes to be awarded in Helsinki on 1 November

Every year, the Nordic Council awards five prizes in recognition of Nordic literature, languages, music, and film, as well as innovative thinking in the field of the environment. The Finnish delegation to the Nordic Council is hosting this year’s awards ceremony in Helsinki, which also sees the celebration of 70 years of the Nordic Council.
 

“Nordic cultural collaboration is a cornerstone of Nordic co-operation. The awards ceremony in Helsinki will celebrate Nordic culture and its outstanding contribution to literature, film, and music. We’ll also pay tribute to efforts relating to the environment, which is more important than ever considering the ongoing climate crisis,” says President of the Nordic Council Erkki Tuomioja.

A total of 50 works and initiatives from all the Nordic countries have been nominated for the 2022 Nordic Council prizes for the environment, music, film, literature, and children and young people’s literature. Among them we find the very best the Nordic Region has to offer in terms of novels and poetry collections, picture books and youth literature, attention-grabbing feature films, albums featuring electronic music, folk and art music, as well as initiatives with an emphasis on nature-based solutions.

The winners will receive the Northern Lights statuette and DKK 300,000. Giving out the prizes in 2022 are:

• Nordic Council Music Prize - artist and winner in 2021, Eivør Pálsdóttir 
• Nordic Council Literature Prize - spouse of the President of Finland, the poet Jenni Haukio
• Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize - chair of the board of Moomin Characters Oy Ltd, Sophia Jansson
• Nordic Council Environment Prize - CEO of RePack, Petri Piirainen, who won the prize in 2017
• Nordic Council Film Prize - Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin

The programme for the evening will be hosted by presenter Andrea Reuter and actor and presenter Christoffer Strandberg, and will offer a variety of Nordic performances on stage, including a dance piece choreographed by Sofia Ruija, a video installation created by Arash Irandoust, and music by the Wegelius Chamber Orchestra. The evening will be drawn to a close by Faroese artist Eivør, who won the 2021 Nordic Council Music Prize.

“It’s such a joy that everyone in the Nordic Region has the opportunity to enjoy a smorgasbord of the culture and environmental engagement that has been fostered in the Nordic countries thanks to this awards ceremony. For me and my team, it’s an honour to have been trusted to offer to the people of the Nordic Region a cultural experience like this that breathes unity and pride, and that is brimming with positivity and surprises! We’re so looking forward to you joining us for an evening that celebrates the Nordic community,” says Johanna Stenback, CEO and head producer at the production company All Things Content. Johanna Stenback is producing the awards ceremony in collaboration with the Finnish parliament and YLE.

The broadcast from Helsinki’s Musikhuset will start at 20:00 (Finnish time) and can be watched live on YLE Teema/YLE Fem throughout the Nordic Region. The awards ceremony will also be broadcast on other public service channels throughout the Nordic Region. Check your national television listings for details.

The Nordic Council prizes are considered the most prestigious prizes in the region. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2022, the literature prize is the oldest of the five prizes. It was first awarded in 1962 and has since been followed by the music prize, the environment prize, the film prize and the children and young people’s literature prize. The five adjudication committees select the nominees and the winner. 2022 marks a special year for the prizes, with the literature prize celebrating 60 years of inspiring reading, and the film prize its 20th anniversary. 

The Nordic Council prizes are being awarded in conjunction with the 74th Session of the Nordic Council in Helsinki, Finland. The Session is the biggest annual Nordic political forum and is attended by the Nordic Council’s 87 parliamentarians, the Nordic prime ministers, the Nordic ministers for foreign affairs, and a raft of other government ministers from across the Nordic Region who come together to engage in political debate.

The Nordic Council prizes for 2022 will be awarded on 1 November at 19:50 (Finnish time) at Musikhuset in Helsinki. Immediately after the awards ceremony, the winners will be available for interviews. Only journalists accredited for the Session of the Nordic Council will be able to participate in the awards ceremony. Journalists must apply for accreditation by 14:00 (Finnish time) on 28 October. A valid press card is required.