Tromsø artist “Tolou” (Ida Tolou) has been named this year’s winner of the Arctic Talent music scholarship. The award worth NOK 400,000 is given by Vår Energi in collaboration with the Varanger Festival.
Tolou blends African rhythms with Scandinavian pop to create what she calls Arctic Afropop. She is now preparing to take on bigger stages and is determined to bring joy to people through her music.
She receives Northern Norway’s largest music grant, NOK 400,000, for the development of her talent and continued career as an artist. The support means a great deal to her, she says:
This support means more than words can express. As an artist from Northern Norway who has spent years building my own path; from band rehearsals and gigs at Tvibit to reaching an international audience, I truly understand the value of a strong music community and solid support programme. This backing allows me to create music on my own terms, stand more firmly in my artistic vision, and elevate my craft on my own conditions.
Andreas Wulff, VP Public Affairs at Vår Energi, offers his congratulations and emphasizes the importance of creating opportunities in local communities:
Ida Tolou is on the brink of a major musical breakthrough and is starting to reach a broad audience. For Vår Energi, it’s important to help strengthen the Northern Norwegian music scene. Tolou is driven and incredibly talented, and we’re confident she has a bright career ahead of her. We also believe she can inspire other musical talents in the region. That combination makes her a truly deserving winner of this year’s Arctic Talent award.
Ida Tolou (27) grew up in Tromsø with a Norwegian mother and Nigerian father, and has always felt at home in the artist role. She spent most of 2024 in Los Angeles, working with several top producers. She says:
It’s not easy being alone in the vast music industry, but when your home country supports you, it brings both strength and affirmation. It’s also incredibly important to be an example that it is possible; that even those of us from small places can reach the world. And with grants like Arctic Talent and the vibrant music scene in Tromsø, it becomes possible. I’m deeply grateful, and I hope more young people are inspired to believe in their path.
The criteria for the award are based on artistic quality and the jury’s assessment of the artist’s breakthrough potential. The prize is genre-independent but requires the artist to have ties to the northern regions.
The 2025 jury consisted of:
- Birthe Brun Bottolfsen, Producer, Nordland
- Brynjar Rasmussen, Artistic Director, Scene Nord
- Anette Tunheim Jakobsen, Director, Kultursamarbeidet Vesterålen
- Fredrik Forssman, Head of Musikkontoret Nord
- Silje Halstensen, artist (known as “Bendik”), singer and songwriter
- André Kvernhaug, Festival Director, Varanger Festivalen
- Andreas Wulff, VP Public Affairs, Vår Energi
The grant is awarded by Vår Energi, and the Varanger Festival is responsible for following up with the award recipients.
Arctic Talent
- Northern Norway’s largest music scholarship
- Funded by Vår Energi, the prize is NOK 400,000 and is tied to launch activities over a one-year period from the time of award.
- The prize was established in 2014 through a collaboration between Vår Energi and the Varanger Festival.
- The aim of Arctic Talent is to help artists from the north with ambition and potential gain greater commercial impact.
Contact
Andreas Wulff
VP Public Affairs
andreas.wulff@varenergi.no