Honningbarna made last year's best pop album. That's according to TONO's EDVARD jury, which has now awarded the band's songwriters and their co-composer and producer Erlend Marius Mokkelbost the country's most important composer award in the Pop category for the album "Animorphs".
/ 13/11/2023 / Kristian DugstadThe band members of Honningbarna, Christoffer Trædal, Edvard Haraldsen Valberg, Nils Jørgen Nilsen, Tomas Karl Johan Berglund, Johan Jan Axel Hansson Liljeberg and collaborator and producer Erlend Marius Mokkelbost were announced on Saturday as this year's winners of TONO's EDVARD award. They will receive prize money of kr 50,000 and a trophy and a diploma designed by Magne Furuholmen.
The EDVARD Prize jury consists of TONO members, and those who win the EDVARD thus receive recognition from their composer and lyricist colleagues. Honningbarna believes that this makes the EDVARD Prize very special:
– The jury consists of our colleagues, and they know what they are doing. This is absolutely insanely cool. Very, very fun, says vocalist in the band, Edvard Haraldsen Valberg.
The jury's reasoning
«Twelve years after their debut, Honningbarna once again defends their position as the reigning rulers of Norwegian-language punk. With the critically acclaimed album Animorphs, the band has captivated critics and audiences at the country's biggest stages, and proven themselves as a unique communicator of innovative, unpredictable punk. On Animorphs, the band demonstrates that they have mastered the art of reinventing themselves time and time again, while at the same time maintaining their uncompromising identity. Together with producer Erlend Mokkelbost, Honningbarna has delivered twelve works that surprise, impress, and explore existential as well as everyday questions and the emotions that follow. The band's honest lyrics hit a broad chord without being condescending, and the arrangements, melodies and productions offer new discoveries with every listen.
A united Norwegian press cheered the album to the skies with praise as “one of the best punk albums in Norway ever” (Klassekampen) resulting in “a masterpiece” (NRK). A unanimous EDVARD jury bows in the dust, and hails Honningbarna as winners of the Pop of the Year category.”
Awarded since 1998
The EDVARD Prize has been awarded annually by TONO since 1998, and is awarded in five categories to composers and lyricists who have created musical works of particularly high quality in the previous year. A highly qualified professional jury selects the winners.
– With the EDVARD Prize, TONO wants to honor outstanding composers, create awareness about newly written Norwegian music, and help increase understanding of how important the work done by composers, lyricists and songwriters is, says TONO's communications director, Willy Martinsen.
The jury for the EDVARD Prize 2023
The jury in 2023 has consisted of Sten Ove Toft (independent, jury leader), Agnes Hvizdalek (Norwegian Composers' Association), Alexander Austheim (NOPA), Andrew Smith (Music Publishers), Martin Rane Bauck (Norwegian Composers' Association), Oda Svendsby (Music Publishers), Ole Børud (independent) and Samsaya Sharma (NOPA).