Last night brothers and co-creators Vegard Stenberg Eriksen and Gjermund Stenberg Eriksen triumphed in New York by winning Best TV Drama for Mammon 2 at the 45th International Emmy Awards ceremony.

The Norwegian show beat other contenders from Brazil (Justiça), Japan (Moribito: Guardian of The Spirit) and Australia (Wanted).

Mammon 2-Nothing is Just Politics was produced by NRK Drama in co-production with SVT, DR, YLE FEM and support from Nordvision. In the 8-part series, freedom of speech is under attack, and journalist Peter Verås (played by Jon Øigarden) investigates the brutal murder of a well-known commentator. The Stenberg Eriksen brothers said they have written a storyline for a third season but the production has not been confirmed yet.

Beta Film which handles world sales just announced that the show has been picked up by MHZ for North America. It will premiere on Germany’s Sony Entertainment Channel and has been acquired by Walter Presents in the UK, RTÉ in Ireland, HBO Europe, NBC in France, Lumiere/Benelux, RTP/Portugal, Hot/Israel as well as SBS/Hi Gloss in Australia/New Zealand. 

The prestigious international award for Best TV Drama marks a milestone for Norway, now on equal footing with the longer established neighbours from Denmark or Sweden in delivering world class drama. It comes two years after Anneke von der Lippe picked up an International Emmy-Best Actress Award for NRK’s drama Eyewitness. Ivar Køhn, NRK Head of Drama said: "We are so extremely proud and happy. We are a part of the Nordic drama history, and our success is a consequence of others' success before us. This is a victory for the nordic cooperation and sharing."

The successful collaboration of Nordic talent and producers on premium English language shows was also confirmed last night with the International Emmy for Best Actor to Kenneth Branagh for his role as Swedish detective Kurt Wallander in the British series Wallander, produced by Left Bank Pictures with Sweden’s Yellow Bird for BBC/TKBC, and the Best Actress Award to Anna Friel for her performance in Marcella, written and directed by the Swede Hans Rosenfeldt for Buccaneer Media/Netflix in the UK.