Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen encourages people to apply for TONO scholarships. (Photo: Sonja Balci)
HILDE LOUISE ASBJØRSEN:
The TONO grant was important for getting started with the recording of the new album "Heart Spilt", says Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen.
/ 07/04/2026 / Willy MartinsenThe application period for the TONO scholarship and Young Talents in 2026 is from March 10 to April 15. This year's scholarship pool is 17,3 million kroner. Last year we awarded 680 scholarships. You apply for a scholarship on the member portal. My TONOYou can search for either The TONO scholarship or the Young Talents scholarship.
Hilde Louise Asbjornsen is a versatile Norwegian jazz singer, songwriter and revue artist with a career that includes both stage, TV and records. She is known from the duo Asbjørnsen & Joh., from musical roles as Roxie Hart in Chicago and Emcee in Cabaret, and from the show stardust, which both toured the country and was broadcast on NRK1. She has released a number of albums, won the Comedy Award twice and reached a wide audience through TV programs such as Beat for Beat, All-Star Game og Teacher, which she won in 2010.
In 2025 she received a TONO grant of 30,000 kroner, and now she is ready for the studio again:
– I have been working on songs for the album "Heart Spilt", which I am finally ready to record. Life has offered many unexpected things in recent years, so the scholarship gave me both an encouraging call and financial help to get started with music again, she says.
For Asbjørnsen, the urge to create began early, but it took time to find security in the field of composition:
– I started writing lyrics and melodies when I was a child and took piano lessons at the Cultural School. It has always been an outlet for me, being able to write, but it has taken many years to find security in my profession. Today I know that I have to create music to support myself.
The scholarship has given her a sense of greater artistic freedom.
– It has probably made me a little braver. It has given me room to explore new expressions and dare to trust my gut feeling.
Asbjørnsen emphasizes that the TONO grant is an important recognition from an entire community of composers, lyricists, songwriters and music publishers:
– It has been crucial, both financially, but also as a kickstart to get things going. Having someone tell me that what I do matters weighs heavily on me.
She also puts TONO's existence in a larger perspective:
– The fact that TONO as a heavy organization exists is in itself a recognition to all of us who are the creators. In these times when earnings from record sales are almost non-existent, it is meaningful to know that our work generates income in a magnitude that requires and justifies such a large and complex work.
Also read our scholarship interview with Daniela Reyes Holmsen.
The TONO grant has given her time to create. It has also opened up new projects:
– I was lucky to have freed up time last year to focus on my writing work, despite the bad times. Now I'm ready for the studio and a new album release, while also starting a fun side project with a musician I've wanted to collaborate with for many years. The fact that I've been able to spend so much time has been important for me to have time to think things through and dare to imagine new paths, she says.
– I hope people stop when they hear my music. That it can fill a void or give people an experience they weren't expecting.
She concludes with clear advice to her colleagues, the music creators:
– All songwriters should apply for the TONO grant. It's not a handout, but a pat on the back and a bonus you get from a large "family" of other songwriters.
If you would like to apply for a scholarship from TONO this year, please log in to the member portal. My TONOThen select "Scholarship" in the left menu to go to the application form.