Kristallen 2023 - SVT’s Blackwater bags Best series, Netflix two prizes for Snabba Cash

SVT’s flagship crime series Blackwater (Händelser vid vatten) produced by Apple Tree Productions was a frontrunner at the Swedish TV awards and brought home the coveted Best drama series award, beating SVT’s other best drama runner-up Detective #24, as well as Viaplay’s Limbo, C More-TV4’s Riding in Darkness and Netflix’s The Playlist.

The gripping series directed by Mikael Marcimain was co-written by Maren Louise Käehne and Karin Arrhenius from Kerstin Ekman’s best-selling novel, an adaptation for which they earned a Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize nomination earlier this year - see our story: Writers in Focus - Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize Nominees - Sweden.

Within the drama categories, the second heaviest winning series was Netflix’s successful crime drama Snabba Cash season 2 produced by SF Studios in collaboration with Strive Studios. Evin
Ahmad was crowned best actress for her riveting performance as Leya, while co-star Ayaan Ahmed won best supporting actress. Inspired by Jens Lapidus’s ‘Snabba Cash’ book, the series premiered globally on Netflix in September 2022

While picking up her award, Ahmad paid tribute to the victims of criminal gangs, currently crippling Sweden. “Last year there were 62 people who died in the shootings and this year there are over 30 people. I would like to dedicate this award to all mothers, brothers and sisters who have lost someone, said the actress.

Netflix’s other premium show The Playlist gave Christian Hillborg his first Kristallen for best actor in a TV production for his role as Martin Lorentzon, co-founder of Spotify. The series directed by Per-Olav Sørensen was produced by Yellow Bird UK.

Viaplay which has invested heavily in youth drama in recent years, was rewarded with a best youth series statuette for Thunder in My Heart, season 2. Two years earlier, actress and creator Amy Deasismont had won a best actress Kristallen for the show’s initial run.

Thunder in My Heat 2 was produced by B-Reel Films, which collected another prestigious award last night for Thomas Jackson’s Historja Stitches for Sapmi, voted best documentary programme.

The tribute to the Sámi struggle to preserve their culture has been a festival hit since its launch in Göteborg and won two Guldbagges for best documentary and best music.

In the kids category, the Kristallen for best children’s programme went to SVT’s Christmas calendar series Kronprinsen som försvann produced by Baluba.

Both Blackwater and Historja Stitches for Sapmi were supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

A total of 23 awards were handed out August 28 at the Kristallen gala, transmitted live on SVT1 and SVT Play.

For the full list of awards/nominations, check: www.kristallen.tv