Amund Maarud is the winner of the 2016 EDVARD Prize in the Popular Music category, for the album "Volt". - Surprising, overwhelming, and a real pat on the back, says Maarud.
/ 25/09/2016 / codexPhoto: Janne Sievers/TONO
The EDVARD jury believes that Amund Maarud with the album "Volt" released in 2015 proves that he is one of the country's most talented composers in popular music. Maarud announced the news on stage at the Brød & Circus Food Festival in Årnes on Saturday night where he performed with MorudesIt was TONO's CEO Cato Strøm, a local resident of Maarud, who presented the award on behalf of the jury: A trophy by Bruno Oldani, a diploma and 50.000 kroner.
– Surprising, overwhelming, and a real pat on the back, said Maarud when he was presented with the award.
"Amund Maarud's latest release "Volt" is the conclusion of his album trilogy that began with "Electric" in 2011, and continued with "Dirt" the following year. All the songs, both lyrics and melody, are signed by Amund Maarud. He has produced, plays many of the instruments, and sings himself. The album is released on the record label Snaxville Recordings, which he also owns and runs. This is evidence of an excess that can be found in everything this man does.
Amund Maarud is a master at knowing history, while easily challenging traditions. He does one of the most difficult things in the genre, namely being modern and innovative, while not trampling on strong traditions. Here we are talking about standing safely on the shoulders of others, and looking around for new opportunities.
With Amund Maarud as a performer this has always been very clear, and we experience exactly the same with him as a composer. Here he takes fresh approaches in a double sense. When you think you have understood the song, he suddenly goes somewhere else, without it feeling forced.
It is raw, energetic, delicate, rocking, genuine, tough, fresh, traditional, steady and loose – with a solid, holistic quality. May he forever continue to travel the way he does, both backwards in history, and forwards towards the future. That makes him own the present!”
The EDVARD Prize, named after Edvard Grieg, is a prize that TONO has awarded annually since 1998, and is awarded to composers and songwriters who have created musical works and lyrics of high artistic quality. With the prize, TONO wants to increase attention to Norwegian composers and lyricists, and to increase Norwegians' understanding of and knowledge of newly written Norwegian music. The prize winner's music or lyrics must have been premiered or published in the previous year. Emphasis is also placed on the composer's other production. See a overview of previous EDVARD winners here.
The 2016 EDVARD jury consisted of composers Nils Henrik Asheim (jury chairman), Arvid Wam Solvang, Claudia Scott, Rita Engedalen, Terese Birkeland Ulvo, and music publisher Jan Stefan Bengtsson.
Janne Sievers, communications advisor at TONO, mobile 95760286, email: janne.sievers@tono.no
TONO is a non-profit cooperative, founded in 1928, owned and managed by its members: composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers. TONO manages performance rights for musical works in Norway, and collects remuneration for their public performance. TONO currently represents approximately 28,000 Norwegian composers, lyricists and music publishers. Through mutual representation agreements with similar companies in other countries, TONO practically manages the entire world repertoire. As a non-profit organization, TONO's results are transferred to the rights holders in performed works. TONO thus facilitates the use of music in society, while at the same time providing TONO's members with a basis for constantly creating new musical works.