Here are the winners of this year's Spellemannprisen, the Norwegian equivilent to the Grammy:
Female Artist: Noora Noor - Soul Deep ()
Male Artist: Sivert Höyem - Moon Landing ()
Pop Group: Montée - Isle Of Now ()
Electronica: Röyksopp - Junior (/)
Rock: John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt ()
Metal: The Cumshots - A Life Less Necessary ()
Hip-hop: Tommy Tee - Studio Time ()
Jazz: Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned ()
Open Class: Kristin Asbjørnsen - The Night Shines Like The Day (/)
Lyrics: Kjartan Kristiansen/Aslak Dørum - DumDum Boys; Tidsmaskin ()
Best Newcomer: Donkeyboy - Caught in a life (
Music Video: Donkeyboy - "Ambitions"
Hit of the Year: Donkeyboy - "Ambitions"
Spellemann of the Year: Alexander Rybak
The nominees for the 2009 Spellemannprisen (the Norwegian Grammy) have been announced:
Female Artist: Ane Brun - Live At Stockholm Concert Hall (, ) Hanne Hukkelberg - Blood From A Stone () Julie Dahle Aagård - Stompin' Feet () Noora Noor - Soul Deep ()
Male Artist: Alexander Rybak - Fairytales () Martin Hagfors - Men and flies () Sivert Höyem - Moon Landing () Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio (//)
Pop Group: Datarock - Red (/) Donkeyboy - Caught In A Life () Kings Of Convenience - Declaration Of Dependence (/) Kråkesølv - Trådnøsting () Montée - Isle Of Now ()
Electronica: Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - 2 (/) Mungolian Jetset - We Gave It All Away (/) Röyksopp - Junior (/) Vinter In Hollywood - Outbreak (/)
Rock: DumDum Boys - Tidsmaskin (/) Heroes & Zeros - Simian Vices Modern Devices (//) John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen - For Sant Til Å Være Godt () Motorpsycho - Child Of The Future () Skambankt - Hardt Regn ()
Metal: Code - Resplendent Grotesque () Immortal - All Shall Fall () The Cumshots - A Life Less Necessary () Årabrot - The Brother Seed ()
Hip-hop: Chris Lee - Love Ghost (/) Lars Vaular - D'e Glede () Tommy Tee - Studio Time ()
Jazz: Håvard Stubø Quartet - Way Up () Kim Johannesen/Svein Magnus Furu/Tore Sandbakken - Kayak () Nils-Petter Molvær - Hamada (/) Solveig Slettahjell - Tarpan Seasons (/) Tord Gustavsen Ensemble - Restored, Returned ()
Open Class: Crimetime Orchestra - Atomic Symphony () Kristin Asbjørnsen - The Night Shines Like The Day (/) Knut Reiersrud - Gitar (/) Mari Boine - Sterna Paradisea (/) When - Homage Series Vol.1: Sun Ra ()
Lyrics: Anne Grete Preus - Nesten Alene () Kjartan Kristiansen/Aslak Dørum - DumDum Boys; Tidsmaskin () Stein Torleif Bjella - Heidersmenn () Sverre Knudsen - La Det Brenne () Tønes - Sobihob ()
Best Newcomer: Alexander Rybak Donkeyboy John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen Kråkesølv Vilde Frang
The name says it all: this band, and CD, is a weeper. Even the most jubliant songs carry with them a sort of bittersweet sadness that one can't shake off, but it's not melancholic. Maybe it's because of the mellow vocals or the subdued production. I love how Magnus Carlson enuniciates each of the lyrics, each word a lullaby set free and sent out to the world. The rest of the band is just background, I'm sorry to say. It's great music to wander around downtown to, shunning all other forms of human life except for Carlson's voice. - Jennifer Ma
My Swedish friends may make fun of me for having the musical taste of a 14 year-old girl, but I can't help it: I like The Ark. But jeez guys, when did you get so angry? There's really an overwhelming air of hositility on this album that I just did not expect. Ola's cursing like a sailor! Not that it's a bad thing, it's just a far departure from what I expected. Perhaps they are trying to keep up with their aging demographic? Or is it to show they the edge needed to break into the fickle US market? Anyhow, there's still plenty of the usual flamboyant glam-pop here to satisfy my needs, I don't care what anyone else says. - Avi Roig
Indierock heavily influenced by Prince – a match made in heaven, some might say, but although a band like Phoenix has demonstrated that the result of such a mix can be quite good, the Deportees (hailing from Umeå, Sweden) gives us all a warning example of how disastrous this alluring blend can turn out. They almost had me fooled though, with their first fine single "Arrest me 'til it hurts", but compared to the other songs on this debut album, it sticks out like a flower growing in the middle of the highway. It's a real shame that "Arrest me 'til it hurts" has to be accompanied by such an insipid bunch of soulless tracks that "All prayed up" consists of. In fact, this album is so slick, bland, and unsexy that it often comes across as something by a second rate boyband. A bit harsh you think? Yes, perhaps, but even harsher for the poor souls who buy this album, lured by "Arrest me 'til it hurts" (hopefully the awful record cover will have a repelling effect). - Simon Tagestam
Just like people, bands change. It took me a long time to accept the new Weeping Willows sound debuted on their last album "Into the light". Once I got over the shock of change, I discovered a great pop album. Being said, this new albums continues very much in the same almost 80s-pop/rock style, but I think I still need to let it grow on me. There's three or four songs (including the single "Stairs") that are immediately appealing, but I'm undecided on the rest. Good, not great. - Avi Roig