(the Northern Lights Prize, established in 1989) is an annual award presented by the newspaper

Nordlys ''Nordlys'' is a Norwegian newspaper published in Tromsø, covering the region of Troms, and the largest newspaper in Northern Norway. History and profile ''Nordlys'' was founded in 1902 by Alfred Eriksen, who also was its first editor-in-chie ...

during the opening concert at Nordlysfestivalen in

Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies ...

, Norway. Nordlysprisen is awarded to a performing musician or composer, that through their work in Northern Norway has excelled at a high artistic level and therefore contributed to highlighting the region's musical life in a positive way. In 2013 the prize-winner was awarded 50 000 Norwegian kroner.

Nordlysprisen winners

*1989: Håkon Stødle (clarinet), from

Porsanger Porsanger ( se, Porsáŋgu; fkv, Porsanki) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lakselv. Other villages in t ...

*1990: Paul Wåhlberg (flute), from

Göteborg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has a p ...

*1991: Tori Stødle (piano), from

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

*1992:

Tove Karoline Knutsen Tove Karoline Knutsen (born 14 January 1951 in Torsken) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. She was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Troms in 2005. She graduated as cand.philol. in 1982, and spent large parts of her career ...

(vocals), from

Torsken Torsken is a List of former municipalities of Norway, former municipality that was located on the western coast of the large Senja (island), island of Senja in the old Troms Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1902 u ...

*1993: Arne Dagsvik (conductor and composer), from

Åfjord Åfjord is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Fosen Districts of Norway, region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Å, Åfjord, Årne ...

*1994:

Mari Boine Mari Boine (born Mari Brit Randi Boine, 8 November 1956) is a Norwegian Sámi singer. She combined traditional Sámi joik singing with rock. In 2008, she became a professor of musicology at Nesna University College. Biography Mari Boine was ...

(vocals), from

Karasjok ( se, Kárášjohka ; fkv, Kaarasjoki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Karasjok. Other villages include Dorvonjárga, Šuoššjávri, and Váljohka. The ...

*1995:

Bjørn Andor Drage Bjorn (English, Dutch), Björn (Swedish, Icelandic, Dutch, and German), Bjørn (Danish, Faroese and Norwegian), Beorn (Old English) or, rarely, Bjôrn, Biorn, or Latinized Biornus, Brum (Portuguese), is a Scandinavian male given name, or less oft ...

(composer and

concert organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational h ...

), from

Saltdal Saltdal ( sme, Sálát) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rognan. Other villages in Saltdal include Røkland and Løn ...

*1996:

Bjarte Engeset Bjarte Engeset (born 25 August 1958 in Ørsta) is a Norwegian classical conductor. Biography and career Bjarte Engeset studied music at the University of Georgia, Grieg Akademiet in Norway, and Sibelius Academy in Finland, in 1988, with Jorm ...

(conductor), from

Ørsta is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Møre og Romsdal Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre Districts of Norway, region of Western Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Ørsta ( ...

*1997: Arne Bjørhei (trumpet), from

Troms Troms (; se, Romsa; fkv, Tromssa; fi, Tromssa) is a former county in northern Norway. On 1 January 2020 it was merged with the neighboring Finnmark county to create the new Troms og Finnmark county. This merger is expected to be reversed by t ...

*1998: Henning Gravrok (saxophone), from

Tovik Tovik is a village in Tjeldsund Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located on the mainland at the entrance of the two fjords; Astafjorden and Vågsfjorden, and at a distance of about from Harstad/Narvik Airport, Ev ...

*1999: Geir Jensen (keyboards), from Tromsø *2000: Arvid Engegård (violin), from

Bodø Bodø (; smj, Bådåddjo, sv, Bodö) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Bodø (which is also the capital of Nordland count ...

*2001: Malfred Hanssen (violin), from Bodø *2002: Knut Erik Sundquist (double bass), from Tromsø *2003: Ingor Ánte Áilo Gaup (

joik A joik or yoik (anglicised, where the latter spelling in English conforms with the pronunciation; also named , , , or in the Sámi languages) is a traditional form of song in Sámi music performed by the Sámi people of Sapmi in Northern Europe. ...

and composer), from

Kautokeino Kautokeino ( no, Kautokeino; se, Guovdageaidnu ; fkv, Koutokeino; fi, Koutokeino) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino. Other villages ...

*2004:

Ola Bremnes Ola may refer to: Places Panama *Olá, a subdistrict in Coclé Province *Olá District Russia *Ola, Russia, an urban settlement in Magadan Oblast *Ola District, an administrative division in Magadan Oblast *Ola (river), a river in Magadan Obla ...

(

troubadour A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a ''trobairit ...

), from

Svolvær Svolvær () is the administrative centre of Vågan Municipality in Nordland County, Norway. It is located on the island of Austvågøya in the Lofoten archipelago, along the Vestfjorden. The town has a population (2018) of 4,720 which gives the ...

*2005:

Susanne Lundeng Susanne Merethe Lundeng (born 18 August 1969 in Bodø, Norway) is a Norwegian traditional folk musician ( fiddle) and composer. Career Lundeng had Arvid Engegård as violin teacher and is a prominent practitioner of north Norwegian folk mus ...

(violin and

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

), from Bodø *2006:

Jan Gunnar Hoff Jan Gunnar Hoff (born 22 October 1958) is a Norwegian jazz pianist, composer, arranger and professor, living in Bodø, known from cooperations with jazz musicians like Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, Alex Acuña, Audun Kleive, Mathias Eick, John Surman, ...

(piano), from Bodø *2007:

Anneli Drecker Anneli Marian Drecker (born 12 February 1969, in Tromsø, Norway) is a Norwegian singer and actress from the city of Tromsø. She is the frontwoman for the dream pop band Bel Canto. Life and career Drecker's father Peter, a German from Bielef ...

(vocals), from Tromsø *2008:

Ragnar Rasmussen Ragnar ( non, Ragnarr ) is a masculine Germanic given name, composed of the Old Norse elements ''ragin-'' "counsel" and ''hari-'' "army". Origin and variations The Proto-Germanic forms of the compounds are "ragina" (counsel) and "harjaz" or " ...

(conductor), from

Vardø ( fi, Vuoreija, fkv, Vuorea, se, Várggát) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county in the extreme northeastern part of Norway. Vardø is the easternmost town in Norway, more to the east than Saint Petersburg or Istanbul. The administra ...

*2009:

Marianne Beate Kielland Marianne Beate Kielland, (born October 12, 1975 in Lørenskog, Norway) is a Norwegian mezzo-soprano. In 2009, she was awarded the Nordlysprisen. Recordings *''Veslemøy synsk'' (Song cycle by Olav Anton Thommessen) (2011) - Nils Anders Mortense ...

(

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...

), from

Lørenskog is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Akershus in Viken (county), Viken Counties of Norway, county, Norway. A suburb of Oslo, it is part of the Oslo urban area and the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Romerike. The administrati ...

*2010: Bodvar Moe (double bass & composer), from

Mo i Rana Mo i Rana () is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city, and the administrative centre of the Municipalities of Norway, municipality of Rana, Norway, Rana, in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the Helgeland region of Nordland, just sou ...

*2011:

Marit Sandvik Marit Sandvik (born 19 July 1956 in Harstad, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz singer. Her husband is guitarist Øystein Norvoll and their daughter is the artist Dagny Norvoll Sandvik. Career Sandvik has participated in numerous vocal and jazz grou ...

(vocals), from

Harstad ( se, Hárstták) is the second-most populated municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is mostly located on the large island of Hinnøya. The municipal center is the Harstad (town), town of Harstad, the most populous town in Centra ...

*2012:

Inga Juuso Inga Juuso (5 October 1945 – 23 August 2014) was a Sami yoiker, singer and actress in the film ''The Kautokeino Rebellion''. She was known from her own band performances, and recordings and collaborations with musicians like Steinar Raknes, Hå ...

(vocals), from Kautokeino *2013:

Nils Anders Mortensen Nils is a Scandinavian given name, a chiefly Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and Latvian variant of Niels, cognate to Nicholas. People and animals with the given name * Nils Bergström (born 1985), Swedish ice hockey player *Nils Björk (1898–1989) ...

(piano), from

Flekkefjord is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Lister. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Flekkefjord. The villages of Sira, Gyland, Rasvåg, Kirkehavn, and Åna-Sira are lo ...

*2014: Anne-Lise Sollied Allemano (soprano), from Tromsø *2015: Ragnar Olsen, (folk singer, songwriter), from Tromsø *2016: Ketil Vea and Sigmund Lillebjerka *2017:

Terje Nilsen Terje Nilsen (26 November 1951 – 20 March 2019) was a Norwegian singer and songwriter. Nilsen's greatest hit is the song "Mjelle", written in 1974, and appearing on the album "Æ" released in 1977. It later appeared on the album "Kanskje", rel ...

*2018: Ragnhild Furebotten *2019:

Roger Ludvigsen Roger Ludvigsen (born 28 July 1965 in Alta, Norway, Alta) is a Samis, Sami guitarist, percussionist and composer from Kautokeino. Biography In the 1970s, he was part of Ivnniiguin, the country's first Sami-language rock band.Nordlysprisen
at Nordlysfestivalen's official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Sildjazzprisen Culture in Troms Norwegian music awards Awards established in 1989