Two Icelandic artists have made the longlist for this year’s Nordic Music Prize. Acronymic twins GYÐA and GDRN are both up for the prestigious award, which will be presented at the Norwegian music industry festival by:larm.
Gyða’s “Evolution” was one of 2018’s best Icelandic releases, offering a deeply personal, spiritual cello-and-voice sound. It gave GDRN’s slick RnB offering “Hvað Ef” a close run for its money as our Album of the Year, receiving an honourable mention at the Grapevine Music Awards this month. Both were also picked in the Beehype Icelandic albums of the year, and have been raking in plaudits at home and abroad.
The longlist was decided by a Nordic jury comprising Audun Vinger (NO), Arnar Eggert Thoroddsen (IS), Ilkka Mattila (FI), Annah Björk (SE) og Anna Ullman (DK). The final winner will be decided by an international jury consisting of Jeanette Lee (Rough Trade), Jude Rogers (The Guardian), Eric Deines (Jagjaguwar) and Stuart Maconie (BBC).
To win, the Icelandic nominees will have to best Swedish greats Robyn and Jenny Wilson, as well as artists from Norway, Finland and Denmark. See the full longlist here.
The last Icelandic artist to win was Jónsi at the inaugural prize in 2011. Norway is currently on a three-years-running hot streak with Band Of Gold, Jenny Hval and Susanne Sundfør winning the last three awards.
The winner will be announced on February 28th.
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