A very special year requires a very special Spellemann award ceremony, and Norwegian artists have probably never had a greater need for appreciation and a pat on the back. The money is delayed from Erna and Abid and the concert halls are empty, but you can not take away the artists’ creativity. NRK follows up with an infection-free broadcast from the new National Museum, which does not open until next year, before NRK travels to the winners – with a quick trip to Skaugum.
“Celebrating is important”, said a very moved Annie quite correctly when she picked up the trophy that wins in the pop class for the comeback album «Dark Hearts». Jørn Stubbberud did not have much more to say than “Hi” and “Thank you very much” when he was presented with this year’s honorary award on behalf of the iconic black metal band Mayhem. It is highly deserved. Maybe there should have been honor for the fiery soul Christer Falck as well. He spearheaded the so-called “Korone Concerts” at Sentralen in Oslo, which became perhaps the only source of income for a large number of Norwegian artists last year.
TIX is Spellemann of the Year: – Overwhelming
The greatest honor went to Andreas Andresen Haukeland (28) alias Tix, as for one year will guard the hiking trophy called Spellemann of the Year. It emphasizes several things: that quality is not a criterion for publication, that streaming means the most and that it is a “people’s award”, despite the fact that it is a special jury that decides who should have it. The criteria for Spellemann of the Year states that it must go to “Performer (s) who have excelled in the past year”. The selection is made by a special jury on a free basis.
Tix has excelled, so that part is fine. He’s been streamed 70 million times this year, and that’s impressive. He has focused on mental health, and he should be honored for that. But it came especially to the surface when he visited “Lindmo” and later won the Melodi Grand Prix. It was this year and not last year. And flow may not be the only criterion.
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Last year, the award went to Sigrid, and the year before there was criticism that the trophy went to Astrid S and not, for example, to Susanne Sundfør.
If quality was a criterion, the award for 2020 could, for example, go to Motorpsycho, which in its 31st year first released a critically acclaimed album with Ole Paus in January and then in August a separate album that was rewarded with sixes on the dice by many reviewers. It could have gone to Sondre Lerche, who released one of his best albums, “Patience”, and was nominated for Songwriter of the Year and Lyricist of the Year without receiving any award. He was one of the first to play a corona concert and toured all over Norway alone in a rental car last year. It’s a musician, that!
Tix and his producers are clappers on making catchy songs that hit “the people”. He is also so productive and popular that he warned fans against voting for “Calls on you” and rather give the voice to “Quarantine”, which is his big hit, in the Song of the Year category!
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The prize went instead to “If the world” with Frida Ånnevik and Chris Holsten, ironically a Norwegian translation meant as a happening, but a song that was so in demand that they re-recorded it for release. And now it’s the big song of the year with a message that hits very well: “If the world collapses then this is said”.
The Russian songs were Tix ‘ only way into the music business, and now we got assurances that he will continue to make party songs. And next month is the Eurovision final with the people’s man. His name is Andreas, also known as Tix.
I wish Tix all possible success, but that he becomes Spellemann of the Year can probably be experienced as a mockery of all those who work seriously with their music without getting any attention – not even in the “state channel” NRK. When was the last time you saw a serious music program on TV that takes the tempo of new Norwegian original music, in a time where we have excellent performers who also reach out into the world? The biggest right now is Girl in Red (Marie Ulven Ringheim), which deservedly received the award as International Success of the Year. She also performed with “Serotonin”, one of the songs that has made her a name abroad – before she soon releases her debut album.
That was exactly right to send the Spellemann Prize back to NRK, after a few years of desert wandering. TV 2 put more emphasis on shows and drove, among other things, their “best men”, Thomas and Harald, in front. NRK has considerably more credible sales, with steady presenters who have a professional relationship with music such as music journalists or musicians. This year, the choice fell in the first part of the three-stage rocket on “she who is everywhere”, Silje Nordnes, and Sandeep Singh, last seen as an Idol judge in 2016 and now NRK P13 employee. The last two broadcasts were led by Tarjei Strøm, musician and now NRK presenter both here and there.
Last year, Strøm led and Christine Dancke a rather chaotic distribution, with prizes being distributed everywhere in many areas and in a summary broadcast where all excitement was gone. This year, NRK has invested considerably more, starting with Skaugum itself – one of many places where the prizes were awarded, with the exclusive introduction of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.
With 26 prizes, it is understandable that not everyone gets the same amount of space, and also this year prizes have been awarded in advance in eight categories. The rest will shine a little more in the main broadcast.
NRK had everything to gain on doing a good job. The channel has received a lot of criticism for its lack of musical commitment. There, they are apparently particularly interested in making “karaoke TV” in the sense that old songs are rumored in programs as popular and after all fascinating “Star Wars” and not so popular “The Next”. Or they set aside prime time on Saturday nights to comment on largely uninteresting Eurovision entries.
The proportion of Norwegian music played on NRK’s largest radio channels varied from 36.9 to 49.2 per cent in 2019. This week, all music on NRK P1 has been with Norwegian artists. It is good. NRK has something to follow up.
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