Fritt Ord Award consists of two prizes awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation (Stiftelsen Fritt Ord). Two prizes are awarded in support of freedom of speech and freedom of expression; the Fritt Ord Award () and the Fritt Ord Honorary Award (). These are awards are distributed annually during the month of May in connection with the anniversary of the liberation of Norway at the end of World War II in May 1945.
Prizes are awarded to one or more persons or organizations that have contributed to areas where the organization works, especially in the work of freedom of expression. In addition to a monetary reward, the award includes a statue by sculptor Nils Aas.
Fritt Ord Foundation was founded on 7 June 1974 by Jens Henrik Nordlie (1910–1996) who was CEO of Narvesen from 1957 to 1975, corporate director Finn Skedsmo and jurist Jens Christian Hauge (1915–2006). The foundation was funded by Narvesen, the Norwegian based chain of convenience stores and news outlets.
Fritt Ord Award These are the laureates of the Fritt Ord Award:
1976: Johan Vogt. 1977: Henrik Groth. 1978: Kim Friele. 1979: Stein Mehren. 1980: Andrey Sakharov. 1982: Lech Wałęsa and Hallvard Rieber-Mohn. 1983: Kjetil Bang-Hansen. 1984: Nordnorsk forfatterlag. 1985: Den illegale presses forening. 1986: Magli Elster and Torolf Elster. 1987: Nansen Academy. 1988: Leo Eitinger. 1989: Erik Bye. 1990: Charter 77. 1991: Nordland Akademi for Kunst og Vitenskap. 1992: Annette Thommessen. 1993: Rolv Ryssdal. 1994: William Nygaard. 1995: Hanne Sophie Greve. 1996: Arne Skouen. 1997: Kåre Willoch. 1998: Alexander Nikitin. 1999: NRK P2. 2000: Thomas Chr. Wyller. 2001: Nils Christie. 2002: Aslam Ahsan and Shabana Rehman. 2003: Berge Furre. 2004: Unni Wikan. 2005: Nina Witoszek. 2006: Bjørgulv Braanen. 2007: Terje Tvedt. 2008: Per-Yngve Monsen. 2009: Nina Karin Monsen. 2010: Bushra Ishaq and Abid Q. Raja. 2011: Anders Sømme Hammer. 2012: Sara Azmeh Rasmussen. 2013: Per Fugelli. 2014: Anne Sender. 2015: Robin Schaefer and Jan Erik Skog. 2016: Robert Mood 2017: Dag og Tid. 2018: Harald Amdal, Eirik Linaker Berglund, Thor Harald Henriksen and Kenneth Hætta 2019: Natur og Ungdom and Greta Thunberg 2020: Deeyah Khan. 2021: Jan Grue, Bjørn Hatterud and Olaug Nilssen. 2022: Meduza. 2023: . 2024: . 2025: , and . 2026: Hilde Henriksen Waage.
Fritt Ord Honorary Award These are the laureates of the Fritt Ord Honorary Award:
1979 : Hans Heiberg 1980 : Philip Houm, Hermod Skånland, Anne Ma Ødegaard 1981 : none 1982 : Hans Børli 1983 : none 1984 : Arvid Hanssen, Lars Roar Langslet, Alf Steinsøy, Anne-Lisa Amadou 1985 : Johs. Andenæs, Carsten Smith, Dag Sørli 1986 : Åge Rønning, Odd Kvaal Pedersen, Radio Immigranten, Anders Bratholm 1987 : Petter Wessel Zapffe, Harald Tveterås, Birgitte Grimstad, Lillebjørn Nilsen 1988 : Barthelemy Niava 1989 : Hå Gamle Prestegard, Espevør Husmorlag, Thomas Thiis-Evensen 1990 : Jahn Thon, Egil Bakke, Edvard Beyer, Elisabeth Gording, Bestemødrene foran Stortinget, Sidsel Mørck 1991 : Stiftelsen Aur Prestegård 1992 : Odd Abrahamsen, Arquebus Krigshistorisk museum, Svein Ellingsen, Erik Hillestad, Egil Hovland 1993 : Jon Godal, Sverre Ødegaard, Arild Haaland, Dagmar Loe, Anne-May Nilsen 1994 : Carl Fredrik Thorsager, Helga Arntzen 1995 : Harald Noreng, Hans P.S. Knudsen 1996 : Kari Risvik, Kari Vogt, Christian Norberg-Schulz, Rune Slagstad, Cato Guhnfeldt, Axel Jensen, Knut Wigert 1997 : Nasa Borba 1998 : Kristin Brudevoll, Erik Damman, Ørnulf Ranheimsæter 1999 : Aldo Keel 2000 : Tor Bomann-Larsen, Hans Fredrik Dahl, Geir Hestmark, Geir Kjetsaa, Torill Steinfeld, Jan Otto Hauge, Reidar Hirsti, Ivan Kristoffersen, Arve Solstad, Kadra Yusuf 2001 : Åsne Seierstad 2002 : Ottar Brox, Åge Hovengen 2003 : Willy A. Kirkeby 2004 : Kristian Ottosen 2005 : Trygve Refsdal, Hermund Slaattelid 2006 : Tom Martinsen 2007 : Janet Garton, Ljubiša Rajić, Ebba Haslund, Sissel Benneche Osvold, Niels Christian Geelmuyden 2008 : Arnhild Lauveng 2009 : Else Michelet, Erik Fosse, Mads Gilbert 2010 : Harald Eia, Dag O. Hessen, Bjørn Vassnes 2011 : Odd S. Lovoll 2012 : Simon Flem Devold, Louiza Louhibi, Nina Johnsrud 2013 : Per Edgar Kokkvold, Nils E. Øy 2015 : Fredens Ring, Flemming Rose, Vebjørn Selbekk 2016 : Walid al-Kubaisi and Loveleen Rihel Brenna 2017 : Leo Ajkic, "The Shameless Girls" (represented by Amina Bile, Nancy Herz and Sofia Srour), Kristin Clemet 2018 : Simon Malkenes (May), Odd Isungset (October) 2019 : Levi Fragell, Hans Fredrik Dahl, Frank Nervik, Norun Haugen, Ola Waagen and Piraya Film 2020 : Sara Johnsen and Pål Sletaune 2021 : Utøya and Jørgen Watne Frydnes 2022 : Lise Klaveness 2023 : Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen, . 2024 : Teachers at the Oslo Cathedral School. 2025 : Sarah Gaulin.
References
External links Stiftelsen Fritt Ords website