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

• This is a list of the recipients of the 2015 grants for critics
• This is a list of the recipients of the 2016 grants for critics
• Call for proposals 2017