Mentanarvirðisløn Landsins (Faroese Cultural Prize) has been awarded by the Faroese government to Faroese

writers A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

musicians A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who ...

, artists etc. since 1998. In 2004 no award was given. From 1998 to 2000 only one award was given, but in 2001 they established an additional award, half as big as the original. The prize is awarded by a board appointed by the Ministry of Culture. The board also gives additional special awards of 50.000 Danish Koroner and/or so-called ''sømdargávur'' or ''Sømdargáva landsins'' (grants), given as a lifelong annual grant of DKK 20 000. The main award, ''Mentanarvirðisløn landsins'', is DKK 150.000, and the ''heiðursgáva landsins'' (award of honour) is DKK 75.000 koroner. In 2011 the awards were announced in December, with the next awards announced on 15 January 2013, which was

William Heinesen Andreas William Heinesen (15 January 1900 – 12 March 1991) was a poet, novel writer, short story writer, children's book writer, composer and painter from the Faroe Islands. His writing The Faroese capital Tórshavn is always the centre o ...

's birthday. This was also the first time that the event was held in

Klaksvík Klaksvík is the second largest town of the Faroe Islands behind Tórshavn. The town is located on Borðoy, which is one of the northernmost islands (the Norðoyar). It is the administrative centre of Klaksvík municipality. History The first se ...

, being announced in Spaniastova and broadcast live on national Faroese radio. The following year the prizes were handed out on 15 January in Stóra Pakkhús (The Large Storage House) in Vágur.

Awarded cultural persons

Mentanarvirðisløn landsins – Faroese Cultural Prize

Mentanarvirðisløn Landsins 2013 Tróndur Patursson

The main award, the ''Mentanarvirðisløn landsins'' (Faroese Cultural Award), is DDK 150.000. These persons have won the award since it started in 1998: * 2020 – Sigrun Gunnarsdóttir * 2019 – Hanus G. Johansen * 2018 –

Bárður Jákupsson Bárður () or Bardur is a Nordic masculine given name that derives from the Old Norse name Bárðr . It may refer to *Bárður Eyþórsson, Icelandic basketball coach *Bárður Háberg (born 1979), Faroese musician, songwriter and composer *Bár ...

* 2017 – Barbara í Gongini * 2016 – Rúni Brattaberg * 2015 – Annika Hoydal * 2014 – Tórbjørn Olsen * 2013 – Tróndur Patursson, artist * 2012 – Tóroddur Poulsen, poet, writer, artist and musician * 2011 –

Jóanes Nielsen Jóanes Nielsen (born April 5, 1953 in Tórshavn) is a Faroese author and poet of the 1980s generation. Nielsen has written short stories, plays and novels. He has published seven collections of poetry, and was nominated for the Nordic Council's L ...

, writer and poet * 2010 –

Sunleif Rasmussen Sunleif Rasmussen (born March 19, 1961 in Sandur in the Faroe Islands) is the foremost Faroese composer of classical music. Biography Rasmussen studied in Norway, then returned to Tórshavn in the Faroes as a music teacher and jazz pianist. Fro ...

, composer * 2009 – Kári Leivsson (Kári P.), poet and singer/songwriter * 2008 –

Ebba Hentze Ebba Hentze (25 September 1930 – 20 May 2015) was a Faroese writer of children's books and a poet and translator. She received three Faroese literature and cultural prizes: Barnamentanarheiðursløn Tórshavnar býráðs (Tórshavn City Council ...

, writer * 2006 – Zacharias Heinesen, artist (painter) * 2005 –

Tita Vinther Tita may refer to: People Given name and nickname * Tita (Lord Byron) (1798-1874), full name Giovanni Battista Falcieri, personal servant of Lord Byron * Tita Bărbulescu (1936-2021), Romanian folk singer * Tita Rădulescu (1904-unknown), Romanian ...

, artist * 2004 – No award given * 2003 –

Hanus Kamban Hanus Kamban (born 25 June 1942 in Saltangará, Faroe Islands) is a Faroese short story writer, essayist, biographer and poet. He was born Hanus Andreassen, but changed his last name to Kamban in 2000. Kamban grew up on the small island of Sk� ...

, short story writer and translator * 2002 –

Gunnar Hoydal Gunnar is a male first name of Nordic origin (''Gunnarr'' in Old Norse). The name Gunnar means fighter, soldier, and attacker, but mostly is referred to by the Viking saying which means Brave and Bold warrior (''gunnr'' "war" and ''arr'' "warrio ...

, writer * 2001 – Eyðun Johannessen, actor and theatre director * 2000 – Ingálvur av Reyni, artist (painter) * 1999 –

Jens Pauli Heinesen Jens Pauli Heinesen (2 November 1932 in Sandavágur −19 July 2011 in Tórshavn) was a Faroese writer. He received the Faroese Literature Prize four times and the Faroese Cultural Prize once. From 1968 to 1975, Heinesen was president of the ...

, novelist, short story writer and poet * 1998 – Regin Dahl, poet and composer

Heiðursgáva landsins – Faroese Award of Honour

''Heiðursgáva landsins'' is DKK 75.000. These persons and cultural institutions have received the award since 2001: * 2019 –

Simme Arge Jacobsen The river Simme is a tributary of the river Kander in the Bernese Oberland in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is approximately long and has a catchment area of . The river Simme begins at the Alpine lake of ''Flueseeli'' (lit.: "Little Lak ...

* 2018 – Astrid Andreasen * 2017 – Frits Johannesen * 2016 – Steinprent * 2015 –

Jákup Pauli Gregoriussen Jákup Pauli Gregoriussen (born 24 April 1932 in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands) is the leading architect of the Faroe Islands. He is also a graphic artist and author of publications about the Faroese church. Life Jákup Pauli was born in 1932 to the ...

, architect * 2014 – Tey av Kamarinum * 2013 –

Árni Dahl Árni is an Icelandic given name of Old Norse () origin. Notable people with the name include: * Árni Gautur Arason (born 1975), Icelandic football goalkeeper * Árni Már Árnason (born 1987), Icelandic Olympic swimmer * Árni Páll Árnason (b ...

, writer, editor * 2012 –

Marianne Clausen Marianne Clausen (25 December 1947 – 17 September 2014) was a Danish musicologist and choir conductor. She was the daughter of composer, choir conductor and musicologist Karl Clausen (1904–1972). Her main achievement, begun in collaboration ...

* 2011 –

Kristian Blak Kristian Blak (born 31 March 1947), originally from Fredericia, Denmark, lives in the Faroe Islands where he is a composer, musician, and record executive. He is the founder of the Nordic musical ensemble Yggdrasil (named after the World tree ...

, Danish/Faroese composer, musician and owner of TUTL record company * 2010 – Jonhard Mikkelsen, who started Sprotin, which publishes Faroese books. He has written and published several Faroese dictionaries * 2009 –

Laura Joensen Laura may refer to: People * Laura (given name) * Laura, the British code name for the World War I Belgian spy Marthe Cnockaert Places Australia * Laura, Queensland, a town on the Cape York Peninsula * Laura, South Australia * Laura Bay, a bay on ...

, theatre actor * 2008 –

Martin Tórgarð Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

, who got the award for his work with the Faroese chain dance and his gifts as ''skipari'' of the Faroese dance. (Skipari means skipper or captain, a title given to the person who leads the dance and starts the singing of every verse.) * 2007 – No award given * 2006 –

Jógvan Isaksen Jógvan Isaksen (born 25 August 1950 in Tórshavn) is a Faroese writer and literary historian. He is best known for his crime novels and for his book about Faroese literature (1993, in Danish). He is leader of the Faroese publication house wh ...

, crime fiction writer. He is also the head of '' Mentunargrunnur Studentafelagsins'', which is a Faroese publishing house in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. * 2005 –

Emil Juul Thomsen Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *''Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *''Emil and the Detective ...

* 2004 – No award given * 2003 –

Ólavur Hátún Ólavur may refer to: *Ólavur Jakobsen, classical guitarist, born 1964 in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands *''Ólavur Riddararós "Ólavur Riddararós" is a song by Faroese folk / Viking metal band Týr, released as a single in October 2002 by Tutl. Th ...

* 2002 – Axel Tórgarð * 2001 – Fuglafjarðar Sjónleikarafelag

Other Special Awards

The board can give a special award of DKK 50.000 if they think it appropriate. These persons have received the award:

Award to Young artist – (Virðisløn til ungt listafólk)

* 2019 – No award given * 2018 – Búi Rouch, dancer og choreographer * 2017 – Konni Kass, singer and songwriter. * 2016 – Anna Malan Jógvansdóttir, poet * 2015 –

Andrias Høgenni ''Andrias'' is a genus of giant salamanders. It includes the largest salamanders in the world, with ''A. japonicus'' reaching a length of , and ''A. sligoi'' reaching . While extant species are only known from East Asia, several extinct specie ...

, film director * 2014 – Mathias Kapnas, musician * 2013 – Trygvi Danielsen, writer and musician * 2012 –

Silja Strøm Silja is a feminine given name used in the Nordic countries and Germany. The Danish/Norwegian equivalent is Silje. In Finnish, it is a derived from the name Cecilia (of Saint Cecilia). People * Silja Walter (1919–2011), Swiss author * Silja V� ...

– young artist * 2011 – Sakaris Stórá – young film director (25 years old in 2011)

Málrøktarvirðisløn Landsins – Award for exceptional work on the Faroese Language

* 2010 – Jóhan Hendrik Winther Poulsen, linguist

Serstøk virðisløn – Special Award

This special award is DKK 50.000. These persons have received the award: * 2019 – The publication house Leirkerið with the brothers Zacharias Zachariasen and Flóvin Tyril * 2006 – Jón Hilmar Magnússon * 2001 –

children's writer Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

Sømdargáva landsins

''Sømdargáva lansins'' (Faroese Grant) is DKK 20.000, an annual subsidy for the rest of their lives. * 2015 - Alexandur Kristiansen * 2014 -

Oddvør Johansen Oddvør Johansen (born 30 October 1941 in Tórshavn) is a Faroese writer and organ player in Tórshavn Cathedral. She writes novels, short stories and children's books. She has twice received the Faroese Literature Prize, in 1983 and 2002. In 1 ...

* 2014 -

Katrin Ottarsdóttir Katrin Ottarsdóttir (born 1957) is a Faroese movie director and author. Biography Katrin Ottarsdóttir was born in Tórshavn. While growing up in the Faroes, she did not have television available to her, but enjoyed cinema. She went to Denmark ...

* 2012 –

* 2012 – Hanus G. Johansen * 2012 – Guðrið Poulsen

References

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External links

Logir.fo KUNNGERÐ NR. 90 FRÁ 28. OKTOBER 2008 UM STUÐUL TIL MENTAN OG LIST (Faroese law about financial support of Faroese culture and art)
Faroese literature Awards established in 1998 Awards for contributions to culture Faroese literary awards Winter events in the Faroe Islands