Punk rock band LÜT from Tromsø is selected this year’s winner of the Arctic Talent music scholarship. The NOK 400 000 scholarship is awarded by Vår Energi, in cooperation with the Varanger Festival.

Vocalist and guitarist in the band, Mads Erlend Ystmark says:

We’re just blown away by this honour. We’re proud, happy and humble to receive the Arctic Talent scholarship for 2024. This couldn’t have come at a better time for LÜT, and it was a totally unexpected blast to hear the good news while we were in the studio in Tromsø, working on our third album. Getting this recognition for all our years of hard work is just plain beautiful.

The band already has plans for how it wants to use the scholarship:

The money will give us a chance to relax just a bit in the financial home stretch for the album we’re working on now. That means we can put together a kick-ass launch for our record together with our partners here in Norway and abroad. Developing ideas, touring, music videos, new music, focus on quality and lots more fun – that’s what we plan to do with the money, says Ystmark.

(Video: Frank Rune Isaksen, Frikant)

The Arctic Talent scholarship is financed by Vår Energi and is handed out every year during the Varanger Festival. The purpose of the scholarship is to boost cultural life in Northern Norway.

The scholarship aims to stimulate greater commercial success for music artists originating in the North, who have ambitions and the potential to reach a larger audience both in Norway and on the international scene.  

Andreas Wulff, VP Public Affairs in Vår Energi and jury member, is impressed by this year’s winner: 

LÜT really has everything it takes to create an international career. Strong tunes, broad experience and steely determination. They’re young and experienced, they’ve earned themselves a support network and an audience that’s ready to launch them out into the world. It’s inspiring to find young musical talents that have such a clear image, direction and ambition. The band proves that cooperation and hard work pay off, and as such, they’re role models that will be an important force in further developing Northern Norwegian music in all its glory. 

In 2017, LÜT was one of four finalists in the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation’s (NRK’s) ‘Urørt’ series. That same year, they were nominated for the Gold award in the P3 radio network’s live artist category. They released their debut album ‘Pandion’ in October 2017, which also earned them a ‘Spellemann’ nomination (Norwegian Grammy Awards) in the newcomer of the year category. In 2020, LÜT played at the ‘by:larm’ festival in Oslo, and their follow-up album ‘Mersmak’ was released in 2021. 

The Arctic Talent music scholarship was established in 2014, and this year marks its 10th anniversary of unwavering support for the culture scene in Northern Norway. The scholarship is a collaborative effort between Vår Energi and the Varanger Festival. 

The Varanger Festival is responsible for following up the prize-winners. It appoints an expert jury with in-depth knowledge of the music scene in Northern Norway. The bulk of the jury’s members are based in Northern Norway, and span a wide range of genres. The jury also has networks and expertise from both the Norwegian and international music industry. 

Members of the Arctic Talent jury: 

  • Fredrik Forssman, head of Musikkontoret Nord
  • Anette Tunheim Jakobsen, head of Kultursamarbeidet i Vesterålen
  • Birthe Brun Bottolfsen, producer, Musikk i Nordland
  • Brynjar Rasmussen, art director, Scene Nord
  • André Kvernhaug, festival manager, Varanger festival
  • Andreas Wulff, VP public affairs, Vår Energi

 

Contact

Andreas Wulff
VP Public Affairs, Vår Energi ASA
Mobile: +47 926 16 759
Andreas.wulff@varenergi.no