The nominees for the 2005 Spellemannspris, Norway's equivalent to the Grammy, have been announced. Here's a selection of the categories:

Female artist:
Maria Solheim - "Frail"
Sissy Wish - "You May Breathe..."
Bertine Zetlitz - "Rollerskating"

Male artist:
William Hut - "Versus the End of Fashion Park"
Sondre Lerche - "Two Way Monologue"
Odd Nordstoga - "Luring"

Pop act:
Kings of Convenience - "Riot on an Empty Street"
The National Bank - "The National Bank"
Savoy - "Savoy"

Rock:
Gluecifer - "Automatic Thrill"
Gåte - "Iselilja"
Span - "Mass Distraction"
Tellusalie - "Tangerine Dreams"
WE - "Smugglers"

Electronica/contemporary:
Biosphere - "Autour de la lune"
Deathprod - "Morals and dogma"
Lars horntveth - "Pooka"
Lasse marhaug - "The shape of rock to come"

Metal:
Black Debbath - "Den femte statsmakt"
Enslaved - "Isa"
Mayhem - "Chimera"

Hip-hop/R&B:
Jaa9 & Onklp - "Sjåre brymæ"
Madcon - "It's all a madcon"
Tungtvann - "Iii:folket bak nordavind"

Jazz:
Børre Dalhaug - "Bigbandblast!"
Sharp 9 - "No:network"
Skomsork - "Skomsork"
Solveig Slettahjell - "Silver"
Petter Wettre - "Hallmark moments"

Open category:
Frode Fjellheim - "Aejlies gaaltije - the sacred source"
Karl Seglem - "Femstein"
Trygve Seim - "Sangam"
Susanna and the Magical Orchestra - "List of lights and buoys"
Transjoik - "Uja nami"

Music video:
Margaret Berger - "Lifetime guarantee"
Illumination feat. Anneli Drecker - "Kool karma"
Jim Stärk - "Morning song"
Kings of Convenience - "I'd rather dance with you"
Bertine Zetlitz - "Fake your beauty"

Newcomer of the year:
Annie - "Anniemal"
Margaret Berger - "Chameleon"
Madcon - "It's all a madcon"
Side Brok - "Høge brelle"
Span - "Mass distraction"

Hit of the year:
Erik Faber - "yesterday's call"
Jim Stärk - "Morning song"
Kurt Nilsen - "My street"
Odd Nordstoga - "Kveldssong for deg og meg"
Ravi & Dj Løv - "Dødsøt"

Winners will be announced on February 26. Read more: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2005010714073264546578

World Idol winner Kurt Nilsen has won the Nordic Music Awards for best Nordic artist and best Nordic newcomer. He premiered his new song "My street" at the awards ceremony last night and will release his new album "A Part Of Me" on November 8.

The nominees for this year's Nordic Music Awards:

Best Norwegian artist: David Pedersen, Kurt Nilsen, Lene Marlin, Morten Abel and Odd Nordstoga

Best Norwegian newcomer: David Pedersen, Gaute Ormåsen, Kjartan Salvesen, Kurt Nilsen and Venke Knutson

Best Nordic artist: Agnetha Fältskog, Bo Kaspers Orkester, Lene Marlin, Lisa Nilsson and Outlandish

Best Nordic export: The Cardigans, Lene Marlin, Nightwish, Outlandish and The Rasmus

Full details: http://www.nordicmusicawards.no/

The latest on World Idol Kurt Nilsen's infiltration into the UK music market: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2004042111264423183794
His single "She's so high" gets released over there on May 17, Norway's Constitution Day.

The story of Norwegian World Idol superstar Kurt Nilsen is coming to DVD. Read more: http://www.nrk.no/musikk/3670271.html

The full schedule has been confirmed for Norway's Ole Blues Festival in late April and the lineup is pretty much a complete who's who of Norwegian music. Some of names listed include Fenrik Lane (feat. World Idol champ Kurt Nilsen), Magnet, Sondre Lerche, Thomas Dybdahl, Gluecifer, Datarock, Evil Tordivel, Jaga Jazzist, Kaizers Orchestra and tons more. Full details: http://www.oleblues.net/

Some of the winners of the Spellemannprisen, the Norwegian version of the Grammy:

Best music video: Kaizers Orchestra - Evig Pint
Dance band: Ole Ivars
Pop group: Ephemera
Hip hop: Equicez
Blues/country: Vidar Busk
Rock: Turbonegro
Best female pop soloist: Bertine Zetlitz
Best male pop soloist: Magnet (Even Johannessen)
Metal: Dimmu Borgir
Open class: Niko Valkeapää
Jazz: Atomic
Best newcomer: Julian Berntsen
Hederspris: Wenche Myhre
Spellemann: Silje Nergaard
Best song: Kurt Nilsen - She's so high

Read more: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2004030115152272157473

World Idol champion Kurt Nilsen is getting set to conquer Britain: http://pub.tv2.no/nettavisen/english/article190990.ece

World Idol champion Kurt Nilsen is having his debut solo album "I" launched in the following seven European countries: Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Iceland, Finland, Belgium and Germany. The Germans have apparently already established a fan site for him and he will be travelling soon to these territories to help with promotion.

Apparently former Spice Girls manager and Pop Idol inventor Simon Fuller is trying to sign World Idol champion Kurt Nilsen.

MIC Norway does a bit of follow-up regarding Kurt Nilsen's victory at the World Idol competition and what's in store for his future: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2004010613384558116731

Here's most of the nominees for the Spellemannprisen, Norway's answer to the Grammy:

Female pop soloist:
Lene Marlin - "Another Day"
Karin Park - "Superworldunknown"
Bertine Zetlitz - "Sweet Injections"

Male pop soloist:
Julian Berntzen - "Waffytown"
Thomas Dybdahl - "Stray Dogs"
Magnet - "On Your Side"

Pop group:
D'Sound - "Doublehearted"
Ephemera - "Air"
Number Seven Deli - "Falkner Street"

Electronica:
Snuten - "Welcome to the Jungle"
Ulver - "Teachings in Silence"
Xploding Plastix - "The Donca Matic Singalongs"

Rock:
Amulet - "Danger! Danger!"
Ricochets - "The Ghost Of Our Love"
Thulsa Doom - "And Then Take You To a Place Where Jars Are"
Turbonegro - "Scandinavian Leather"
We - "Lightyears Ahead"

Blues/Country:
Vidar Busk - "Love Buzz"
Amund Maarud - "Ripped, Stripped and Southern Fried"
Tumbleweed - "Once More, With Feeling"

Metal:
Dimmu Borgir - "Death Cult Armageddon"
Enslaved - "Below the Lights"
Old Man's Child - "In Defiance of Existence"

Hip-Hop:
Diaz - "Velkommen Hjem Andres"
Equicez - "State of Emergency"
Paperboys - "The Great Escape"

Jazz:
Atomic - "Boom Boom"
Toe Brunborg Quartet - "Gravity"
Karin Krog - "Where You At?"
Christian Wallumrød Ensemble - "Sofienberg Variations"
Håvard Wiik - "Postures"

Open class:
Anne-Lise Berntsen/Nils Asheim - "Kom Regn"
Hallvard Bjørgum & Co- "Free Field"
Motorpsycho/Jaga Jazzist Horns - "In the Fishtank"
Niko Valkeapää - "Niko Valkeapää"
When - "Pearl Harvest"

Music video:
Diaz - "Hvem er denne karen"
Folk og Røvere - "Utadæsjælåpplevelse"
Kaizers Orchestra - "Evig Pint"
Thomas Dybdahl - "Cecilia"
Bertine Zetlitz - "Girl Like You"

Best newcomer:
Julian Berntzen - "Whaffy Town"
Equicez - "State of Emergency"
Rebekka Karijord - "Neophyte"
Kurt Nilsen - "I"
Karin Park - "Superworldunknown"

Best song:
Maria Arrendondo - "In Love With An Angel"
David - "Wild At Heart"
Folk og Røvere - "Utadæsjælåpplevelse"
Lene Marlin - "You Weren’t There"
Kurt Nilsen - "She’s So High"

Go here for the rest: http://www.nrk.no/musikk/3399677.html

Norway's Kurt Nilsen won the World Idol competition last night. Maybe that country really is up-and-coming in the pop world. Of course, there's a ton of articles to read about him over at NRK: http://www.nrk.no/magasin/musikk/ (in Norweigan)
Articles in English from the Norweigan press (Nettavisen) are here: http://pub.tv2.no/nettavisen/english/

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. The Rasmus - In My Life
02. Outlandish - Aicha
03. Carpark North - Transparant And Glasslike
04. Killer - Naughty Boy
05. Mew - 156
06. Lene - It´s Your Duty
07. The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
08. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
09. Junior Senior - Rythm Bandits
10. Beats & Styles - Dynamite
11. Darude - Next To You
12. Da Buzz - Tonight (Is The Night)
13. The Lost Patrol feat. Lisa Miskovsky - Alright
14. Span - Found
15. Eagle-Eye Cherry - Skull Tattoo
16. Fattaru - Bättre
17. The Unisex - Take Me Higher
18. Bertine Zetlitz - Twisted Little Star
19. Looptroop - Don´t Hate The Player
20. Kurt Nilsen - She´s So High

Challengers:
01. Da D.o.n.s - She Don´t Know My Game
02. First Floor Power - Happy Endings
03. José Gonzalez - Heartbeats
04. Laze - Steppin´ Out
05. Lene Marlin - You Weren´t There

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite.

This week's MTV Up North Nordic video chart:

01. Outlandish - Aicha
02. The Rasmus - In My Life
03. Junior Senior - Rythm Bandits
04. Carpark North - Transparant And Glasslike
05. Mew - 156
06. Killer - Naughty Boy
07. The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
08. Bertine Zetlitz - Twisted Little Star
09. Lene - It´s Your Duty
10. Beats & Styles - Dynamite
11. The Lost Patrol feat. Lisa Miskovsky - Alright
12. Nu - Any Other Girl
13. Darude - Next To You
14. Span - Found
15. Kurt Nilsen - She´s So High
16. Fattaru - Bättre
17. The Unisex - Take Me Higher
18. Paperboys - What U Need
19. Looptroop - Don´t Hate The Player
20. José Gonzales - Crosses

Challengers:
01. Eagle-Eye Cherry - Skull Tattoo
02. Zaki - Tonal
03. Racetrack Babies - It´s Ok
04. Da Buzz - Tonight (Is The Night)
05. Bad Cash Quartet - Midnight Prayer
06. Don Diego - Fagnani (Min Far)

Go to the MTVE.com site to watch and vote for your favorite. There's info about an Outlandish DVD contest at the top of the page, too.