Press release
01 February 2010
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Mando Diao and Nils Landgren honoured for their musical achievements
Mando Diao has been awarded the 2009 Swedish Government's Music Export Prize and Nils Landgren a special prize for exceptional achievements in promoting and spreading Swedish music abroad.
The 2009 Music Export Prize
At an event held today in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs press room Minister for Trade Ewa Björling presented the Government's Music Export Prize for 2009 to the pop group Mando Diao.
The jury's citation:
"Mando Diao is one of Sweden's most internationally successful live bands ever. In 2009 the band further strengthened its position through some 150 concerts in Germany, the United Kingdom, the USA and Asia, among other places. Mando Diao was also the main act at several of Europe's major music festivals and appeared in the most important television shows. During the year Mando Diao celebrated major international successes with their album Give Me Fire, and with the hit single Dance With Somebody. The album topped the charts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Both titles were awarded platinum records in Germany for their success. Dance With Somebody was also the most played song on the radio in all categories in Germany in 2009 and was named song of the year by German iTunes. The video was played on YouTube about 13 million times."
Ewa Björling, Minister for Trade
"It is a great pleasure to award the prize to a hard-working pop band that I myself have had the honour of seeing live in the crowded Club Quattro in Tokyo. Mando Diao is an excellent example of Swedish artists continuing to score successes around the world."
This is the thirteenth time the Government's Music Export Prize has been awarded. In previous years, the Prize has been awarded to artists such as Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, the song¨-writing duo Bloodshy and Avant, Anne Sofie von Otter, José González, Roxette, In Flames, The Hives and the Esbjörn Svensson Trio.
The jury consisted of Michael Treschow (chair), Anders Hjelmtorp, Kerstin Nordlund-Malmegård, Claes Olsson, Sofia Nyblom, Nutta Hultman, Stina Westerberg and Fredrik Wetterqvist (secretary).
The three other candidates nominated for the Music Export Prize in 2009 were the songwriter Max Martin, the opera singer Nina Stemme and the disc jockey trio Swedish House Mafia.
Special prize to Nils Landgren
Ewa Björling also presented a special prize to Nils Landgren for extraordinary achievements for promoting and spreading Swedish music abroad.
The citation was:
"Nils Landgren is awarded the Special Prize for extraordinary achievements for spreading Swedish music abroad. He is a unique musician and a major international star with activities stretching from here to China. With his red trombone and warm singing Nils Landgren has for more than a quarter of a century developed an artistry in which he moves freely between different genres such as jazz, funk, folk music and pop. Together with Siegfried Loch and through the German recording company ACT - one of the largest record companies in its genre - he has made a strong contribution to marketing Swedish jazz and Swedish jazz musicians internationally. Viktoria Tolstoy, Rigmor Gustafsson and Esbjörn Svensson are excellent examples of Swedish musicians who, through Nils Landgren's mentorship and commitment, have achieved major international success. He himself has been established internationally for a long time. Perhaps particularly in Germany, after five years in North German radio's big band in Hamburg, as artistic leader of Germany's largest jazz festival, Jazzfest Berlin, and as professor at the University of Music and Theatre in Hamburg. Nils Landgren is also a professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. As a musician he has participated in an impressive total of about 500 record releases.
Contact
Monica OhlssonPress Secretary on parental leave
+46 8 405 10 00
Fredrik Wetterqvist
Senior Adviser, Secretary of the Music Export Prize jury
Head of Cultural Promotion and the Image of Sweden group, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
+46 8 405 32 51
fredrik.wetterqvist@foreign.ministry.se
