6 works of music nominated for 2023 Teosto Prize

Six works of music were nominated for the 2023 Teosto Prize, said Finnish Composers’ Copyright Society Teosto in a press release on Wednesday.

The nominees are Helmi Kajaste’s and her team’s works on Draama-Helmi’s album Draama-Helmi kuistilla, Petra Poutanen’s compositions, lyrics and arrangements and Joonas Outakoski’s arrangements on Pelkkä Poutanen’s album Pyhä veri vuotaa, Mikko Sarvanne’s compositions on Mikko Sarvanne Garden’s album Heräämisen valkea myrsky, Sanna Ahvenjärvi and Tapio Lappalainen’s composition Water, Nino Ensio Mofu’s and his team’s works on NCO’s album Addikti and Heinz-Juhani Hofmann’s composition and libretto in the work Aukio – ooppera kansannoususta

The nominees for the 2023 Teosto Prize were selected from Finnish works of music published in 2022.

The Teosto Prize, which was first awarded in 2003 and is now being awarded for the 18th time, is one of the most noteworthy art prizes in the Nordic countries. The purpose of the prize is to recognise bold, original and innovative works of music.

If the Teosto Prize is awarded to multiple (but no more than three) works, the total prize money to be divided among the works will be EUR 40,000. If only one winner is selected, the prize money will be EUR 25,000.

The nominees were chosen by a preliminary selection panel consisting of DJ and journalist Tytti Viljanen (Chair), journalist and radio host Antti Granlund, musicologist, Associate Professor Susanna Välimäki, blogger Pasi Virtanen, a.k.a. Jazzpossu, and journalists Oskari Onninen, Auli Särkiö-Pitkänen and Katri Norrlin.

“The preliminary selection panel for the Teosto Prize listened to many bold and interesting works. The music year 2022 brought fantastic works by both well-known creators and new names. Being able to listen to live and new music after the end of COVID-19 restrictions on events has been an important factor,” said Tytti Viljanen, the Chair of the preliminary selection panel responsible for selecting the nominees for the Teosto Prize.

The winner or winners of the Teosto Prize will be selected from the nominees by a five-person panel of judges, which consists of the winners of the 2022 Teosto Prize Cecilia Damström, Linda Fredriksson and Yona as well as members invited by Teosto’s management team, Miikka Maunula, Yle’s Executive Producer for music programmes, and Gita Kadambi, General Director of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet.

The winners will be announced at an event for invited guests at the restaurant of Helsinki Music Centre on 27 April.