Denmark’s Jonas Struck, Finland’s Pessi Levanto, Iceland’s Edvard Egilsson, Norway’s Ola Fløttum, Sweden’s Irya Gmeyner and Martin Hederos are vying for the prestigious award.

The Nordic film composers selected by their national guilds will be attending the 17th Nordic Film Music Days, held at the Nordishe Botschaften between February 16-18, parallel to the Berlinale and European Film Market.

The Danish-born Jonas Struck has been picked for his score of Lea Glob’s multi-awarded documentary Apolonia, Apolonia. This is the third Harpa nomination for the graduate from the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen, after his distinction in 2019 for Man Divided and in 2022 for The Good Traitor.

The jury consisting of director Pernille Fischer Christensen, sound designer Diana Queirós, scriptwriter and former film consultant Steen Bille said in their motivation:

”Jonas Struck has created a beautiful score that stitches together Lea Glob's film about Apolonia Sokol's struggle with life in a magical and unpretentious manner. It is vulnerable and raw music that rests both in the power of the simple theme and in the grander symphonic perspective, and subtly mirrors Apolonia's development from budding artist in Paris' bohemian environment to internationally recognised painter. The composer sensitively supports the documentary's protagonist, reflecting both the downturns and triumphs of life. The highly varied choice of instruments and vocals elegantly contributes to the depth and complexity of the film.”

One of Finland’s most prominent composers, Pessi Levanto is being distinguished for the score of the Danish film Superposition by Karoline Lynbbye. He was nominated in 2021 for his work on Psychosia.

The Jury including composer Juri Seppä said in their motivation: “Pessi Levanto's timeless and organic score raises Superposition's mystic atmosphere to a new dimension, in a way that only a professionally tailored original score can. Music is strongly present, but no hints are granted for the viewer about what is about to happen or what one should think. Levanto's score is in a primal way familiar and yet unheard.”

Iceland’s Edvard Egilsson is competing for his score of Anna Hint’s multi-awarded documentary Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, made in collaboration with the Estonian group Eeter. A founding member of the group Steed Lord, Egilsson graduated in classical composition from Iceland’s University of the Arts.

The national jury consisting of composer Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, filmmaker Hilmar Oddsson, screenwriter Margrét Örnólfsdóttir and composer Pétur S. Jónsson said: “It is special and rare to witness an interaction of the music with all the elements that make up this multi-layered storytelling that is tender, honest, heartrending and which extends an invitation to the audience to participate in the process of cleansing and purification. The music is woven out of the fabric of the film and the tradition that inspired it. It interacts with subtle sound-design and with the visuals and words it becomes a unique experience where the end result is much greater than the sum of its parts.”

Norway’s Ola Fløttum runs for the score of Ole Giæver’s Let the River Flow. In 2019 he was nominated for his work on Joachim Trier’s Thelma.

The national Jury including composers Irene Tillung, Kenneth Ishak and film critic Lars Ole Kristiansen said: “Ellos eatnu-Let the River Flow circles around a young woman undergoing major changes. Ola Fløttum's music guides the audience in this complex process. His compositions enhance the temperature and colours of the film, allowing us to become one with the protagonist's emotions. The music is never melodramatically insistent, although it's almost omnipresent in both strength and frequency, and thus an important part of the cinema experience; it's significant without being overpowering. This balance act impressed the jury, who also highlights Fløttum's exquisite use of electronic instruments.”

The Swedish composing duo Irya Gmeyner and Martin Hederos have been picked for their work on the SVT hit series Thin Blue Line. Both shared a Guldbagge nomination 2023 for the score of the film Comedy Queen.

The Swedish jury said in their motivation: “With an almost iconic theme, the music takes us directly into the social and emotional environment of the series, where we follow Malmö police officers in their work, private lives, and relationships. Marked by sensitivity and humanity, the music portrays ethical dilemmas and dramatic scenes with a contemporary and inviting interface, demonstrating skill in craftsmanship and composition. Throughout the series, the music accompanies the visuals without smoothing over or simplifying, managing to maintain the complexity of challenging issues in its simplicity.”

The awards ceremony will be held February 17 in Berlin.

Other highlights at the Harpa Nordic Film Music Days will include a new partnership with the Black Nights Film Festival, Vilnius International Film Festival, and Riga International Film Festival, under the banner Baltic Nights. Details of the event and of other Harpa festivities in Berlin will be unveiled early 2024.

Nordic film Music Days is supported among others by Nordisk Film & TV Fond.