International Success of the Year for 2018

The International Success of the Year award is a collaboration between Music Norway and the Spellemann Prize to honour international successes that help to increase the export of Norwegian music.
“There were many deserving candidates to choose from when the International Success of the Year for 2018 award was being decided. One, however, stood out among the others. This candidate has been a pioneer in Norway’s pop success story,” said the Crown Prince as he read the statement of the jury (in Norwegian).

Minister of Culture Trine Skei Grande and State Secretary Marianne Hagen of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also attended the award ceremony, which was attended by many representatives of the Norwegian music industry. 

His Royal Highness The Crown Prince presented the International Success of the Year award to Stargate. Stargate consists of Mikkel Storleer Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen. Photo: Michael “Akam1k3” Vera Cruz Angeles.

The award comprises a Spellemann statue and a grant of NOK 100 000. The grant is from the Norwegian Ministry of Culture, and is to be passed on to a person, organisation or environment that has inspired and strengthened the winner’s interest in music. The grant motto is “Det var her det begynte” [This is where it began]. 

Stargate chose to donate the grant to the newly launched Lillehammer Institute for Music Production (LIMPI). Stargate’s Tor Erik Hermansen has been a mentor at LIMPI in its first year, and Stargate has been a strong supporter during the school’s start-up.   

Stargate

Mikkel Storleer Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen make up the Grammy-winning producer-artist duo Stargate – the only Norwegian company involved in producing songs that have topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart ten times.

Using their own studio, the duo have focused fully on the commercial market for pop, R&B and hip-hop. They have collaborated with some of the music world’s biggest artists, including Rihanna, Beyoncè and Justin Bieber.

Minister of Culture Trine Skei Grande presented the grant to the winners. Photo: NTB Scanpix.

International Success of the Year

Originally called the Export Prize, the International Success of the Year was established by Music Norway in 2016 in collaboration with the Spellemann Prize. The award is meant to highlight performers, songwriters and producers who have taken Norwegian music across national borders, promoted Norwegian music success abroad, and encouraged an entire industry to seek international success.

Previous award winners are Ina Wroldsen (2017), Alan Walker (2016) and Kygo (2015).

Source: Music Norway.

Stargate chose to donate its grant to the Lillehammer Institute for Music Production (LIMPI), a newly launched music school that brings together Norwegian and international musical talents. LIMPI’s founder, Magnus Beite, and student representatives received the grant. Photo: The Royal Court.