The prestigious award was handed out Friday to Norwegian screenwriter Hans Christian Storrøsten during the Helsinki Script Conference.

Formerly known as Prix Genève, the €5,000 European Script Award (ESA) is delivered annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the European Alliance for Television and Culture (EATC) to European upcoming scriptwriters for film and television.

Storrøster who had directed a couple of series for NRK, made his foray into screenwriting with the crime show Monster (7x55’), set in a remote community in the furthermost reaches of Northern Norway. In the title roles are Jakob Oftebro and Ingvild Holthe Bygdnes as an unlikely investigating duo forced to collaborate on a murder case.

In their statement, the EAS jury said: “Monster is a strong character-driven thriller drama, a very clever and emotional crime story. All the story elements stand in complete service of the story plot. From the complex characters, with their own fears, secrets, hopes and flaws to the beautiful desolated location in the north of Norway in which an extremist Christian religion can thrive in the community. It is simply by far the best told story.”

The series directed by Anne Sewitsky was produced by Lasse Greve Alsos for NRK Drama, with support from Nordisk Film & TV Fond. The Norwegian broadcaster will air it in the fall. DRG handles world sales.

Monster has also been nominated for the Prix Europa –Best TV Fiction, alongside NRK’s Valkyrien, Denmark’s Follow the Money 2, Finland’s Love & Order, Iceland’s Prisoners, Sweden’s Before We Die and The Bonus Family among others.