14 People Awarded With The Order Of The Falcon

President of Iceland Halla Tómasdóttir bestowed the Order of the Falcon to 14 individuals on New Year’s Day. Seven women and seven men received the award.

The Order of The Falcon is the sole order of chivalry in Iceland, traditionally awarded by the president twice each year: on New Year’s Day and on June 17.

The recipients of the order are:

Bala Murughan Kamallakharan, entrepreneur and founder of Startup Iceland, for his efforts in supporting Icelandic startups.

Brian Pilkington, visual artist, for his contribution to illustration and children’s literature.

Eðvarð Júlíus Sólnes, emeritus in environmental engineering, for pioneering practises in earthquake defences and environmental

Geirlaug Þorvaldsdóttir, hotel manager, for her contributions to tourism, culture, and the conservation of Icelandic fine art

Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir, footballer, for her accomplishments in football

Íris Inga Grönfeldt, sports scientist, for her local contribution to children, teenager, and adult’s sports and health improvements

Jón Þór Hannesson, producer, sound engineer and filmmaker for his pioneering work in filmmaking

Jónas Karl Þorvaldsson, department manager at The Icelandic Coast Guard, for his contribution to peacekeeping and defence matters

Kristín Jóhannsdóttir, museum director, for her entrepreneurship in culture and tourism on a local scale

Magnea Jóhanna Matthíasdóttir, author and translator, for her contributions to translations and writing

Sigurþóra Bergsdóttir, CEO, for creating solutions which improve access to support and consultation for young people

Sólveig Þorsteinsdóttir, library and information scientist, for pioneering library improvements and nationwide access to digital databases

Þorsteinn Tómasson, plant geneticist, for his contributions towards selective breeding in agriculture, forestry, gardening and biotechnology

Þórir Hergeirsson, handball coach, for his achievements in coaching and contribution to female handball