Fritt Ord awards 10 new grants to critics

June 16 2017

The Fritt Ord Foundation recently awarded 10 new annual grants to critics in the amount of NOK 200 000 each for the period from August 2017 to August 2018.

Forty-five applications were received. The 10 successful applicants were: Carina Elisabeth Beddari (literature), Lars Elton (pictorial art, architecture and dramatic art), Jon Inge Faldalen (film and TV), Bjørn Ivar Fyksen (literature), Anki Gerhardsen (dramatic art, pictorial art, etc.), Aleksander Huser (film), Vilde Imeland (film and literature), Anette Therese Pettersen (dramatic art), Kjetil Røed (pictorial art and architecture), and Nina Strand (photography).

Fritt Ord issued a three-year call for applications, giving priority to critics who write for daily and weekly media, to help improve criticism in the broader segment of the public sphere, which is under intense pressure. The critics selected for the grants write reviews for the newspapers Dagbladet, VG, Aftenposten, Dagsavisen, Klassekampen, Morgenbladet, Fædrelandsvennen, Nettavisen, Nordlys and Avisa Nordland.

The grant programme has MNOK 6 in funding and will run for three years (August 2015 to August 2018).

“Fritt Ord also supports many criticism projects during the seven rounds of grants each year that are separate from this scheme. The support goes to individual critics as well as to editorial boards, and it applies to newspapers, radio/TV, magazines and journals. Once the three-year programme is completed, we will discuss how to further organise Fritt Ord’s pro-active promotion of criticism. We aspire to help strengthen criticism as an indispensable part of Norwegian journalism and the public sphere”, remarks Knut Olav Åmås, executive director of the Fritt Ord Foundation.

For more information, please contact Knut Olav Åmås by email at: knut.olav.amas@frittord.no

News

Mykhailo Tkach

Ukrainian, Georgian, Armenian, Russian and Belarusian journalists and media to receive five Free Media Awards for 2026

September 3 2026

This year’s prize laureates for the Free Media Awards from the Fritt Ord Foundation and Zeit Stiftung Bucerius are:
The investigative journalist Mykhailo Tkach from Ukraine
The investigative media outlet iFact from Georgia
The online media Factor TV from Armenia
The online media Verstka from Russia (in exile)
The journalist and media director Andrei Aliaksandrau from Belarus (imprisoned)

Fritt Ord's grants for master’s degrees

August 30 2026

Is your master’s project about freedom of expression, social debate or journalism? If so, you can apply for a student grant from the Fritt Ord Foundation.

The Freedom of Expression Foundation Tribute 2026

August 18 2026

The rap duo Karpe has been awarded the Freedom of Expression Foundation Tribute for giving voice to the experiences of many young people from minority backgrounds. Through the language of rap, they are expanding the space for the expression of identity and belonging.

The 2025/26 Monitor survey

June 17 2026

The Fritt Ord Foundation and the Institute for Social Research (ISF) invite you to the launch of a report and a subsequent discussion on Monday, 8 June 2026, from 9.00 to 11.00 am, at Fritt Ord’s premises at Uranienborgveien 2 in Oslo.

Where do people draw the line when it comes to freedom of expression, and what do they believe to be the greatest threats to an informed debate at a time characterised by unrest, crises and international conflicts? Do they feel there is sufficient diversity of opinion and enough room for divergent viewpoints? And how do people assess access to truthful and relevant information in a media landscape featuring new formats, new voices and artificial intelligence?