The Nordic Council Music Prize is awarded annually by NOMUS, the Nordic Music Committee. Every two years it is awarded for a work by a living composer. In the intervening years it is awarded to a performing musician or ensemble.
The Nordic Council has four art committees:
The Nordic Literature and Library Committee (NORDBOK)
The Nordic Music Committee (NOMUS)
The Nordic Centre for the Performing Arts (NordScen)
The Nordic Institute for Contemporary Art (NIFCA)
NOMUS consists of two delegates from each of the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland) and observers from the three areas with self-rule (Greenland, the Faroe Islands and the Åland Islands ). NOMUS awards grants to promote musical co-operation in the Nordic Region; subsidizes commissioned works, musical performances, seminars, conferences and educational courses; and acts as the secretariat and jury of the Nordic Council Music Prize.
This prize was launched in 1965 and was originally awarded once every three years. Since 1990, however, the prize has been awarded every year. In alternate years it is awarded to a piece of music by a living Nordic composer and to a small or large musical ensemble of high artistic and technical standards. It is currently worth 350,000 Danish kroner.
The winners of the Nordic Council Music Prize to date have been:
1965 Aniara (opera) by Karl-Birger Blomdahl, Sweden
1968 Tredje symfonien (Third symphony) by Joonas Kokkonen, Finland
1970 Drömmen om Thérèse (arenaopera) by Lars Johan Werle, Sweden
1972 Eco (soprano solo, mixed choir, orchestra) by Arne Nordheim, Norway
1974 Gilgamesh (opera) by Per Nørgård, Denmark
1976 Konsert för flöjt och orkester by Atli Heimir Sveinsson, Iceland
1978 Ryttaren (opera) by Aulis Sallinen, Finland
1980 Symfoni/Antifoni by Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Denmark
1982 Utopia by Åke Hermanson, Sweden
1984 De ur alla minnen fallna (Requiem) by Sven-David Sandström, Sweden
1986 Poemi for solo violin and string orchestra by Hafliði Hallgrímsson, Iceland
1988 Kraft (symphonic orchestra, electronics) by Magnus Lindberg, Finland
1990 Gjennom Prisme (cello, organ, orchestra) by Olav Anton Thommessen, Norway
1991 Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Denmark Jazz bass player, artist prize
1992 Symfoni nr 1 by Anders Eliasson, Sweden
1993 Mellersta Österbottens Kammarorkester, Finland, artist prize
1994 Det Sjungande Trädet (opera) by Erik Bergman, Finland
1995 Eric Ericson, Sweden, choir conductor, artist prize
1996 Sterbende Gärten concerto for violin and orchestra by Bent Sørensen, Denmark
1997 Björk (Guðmundsdóttir), Iceland, singer, artist prize
1998: Concert for clarinet and orchestra by Rolf Wallin, Norway
1999 Leif Segerstam, Finland, conductor, artist prize
2000 Lonh for soprano and electronics by Kaija Saariaho, Finland
2001 Palle Mikkelborg, trumpet player, Denmark
2002 Symphony no. 1 - Oceanic Days by Sunleif Rasmussen, Faroe Islands
2003 Mari Boine, singer, Norway
2004 Gudrun's 4th song by Haukur Tómasson, Iceland
2005 Ensemble Cikada, Norway
2006 ...fetters... by Natasha Barrett, Norway
2007 The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir from Stockholm
2008 Miki Alone by Peter Bruun, Denmark
2009 Kari Kriikku, clarinettist, Finland
2010 Opus 42 by Lasse Thoresen, Norway
2011 Mats Gustafsson, saxophonist, Sweden
2012 Dreymi by Anna Thorvaldsdóttir, Iceland.
2013 Pekka Kuusisto, violinist, Finland
2014 Simon Steen-Andersen, composer, Denmark
2015 Svante Henryson, cellist, Sweden
2016 Let Me Tell You, Hans Abrahamsen, Denmark
