The 8-part Danish series Grow (Alfa in Danish) was competing at last week’s Aarhus Series Festival against NRK’s 22 July, Exit, SVT’s Caliphate and TV2 Denmark’s Chemo Brain.

The competing Nordic series were selected by jurors Keld Reinicke, TV/radio host Frederik Dirks Gottlieb, media expert from University of Oslo’s Vilde Schanke Sundet, film and TV reviewer Ann Lind Andersen and Aarhus Series director Felicia Jackson, based on the festival’s overall theme ‘series with social relevance and cultural impact’.

"Grow is liberatingly ambitious for a Danish series,” said Aarhus Series Festival director Felicia Jackson. "It is a harsh tale about two brothers who try to find a foothold on either side of the law after the death of their father. Grow is in a way a classic family drama, but through strong portraits and sublime storytelling, the Avaz brothers have succeeded in making the series both modern and present.”

The series starring Sebastian Jessen, Andreas Jessen and Lars Mikkelsen among others, had its premiere on TV2 Play and TV2 Zulu in August. ZDF Enterprises handles world sales.

During Saturday’s awards ceremony and closing day of the four-day festival and industry event, the Best International Series award was handed out to the BBC series Normal People. The UK drama beat the other contenders Watchmen (HBO/Paramount), I May Destroy You (HBO/BBC), Devs (HBO) and Unbelievable (Netflix).