The nominees for the 2022 Teosto Prize have been exceptionally selected from Finnish compositions released during the last two years. The amount to be distributed among the winners is also the largest in the prize's history: a total of € 60,000 will be distributed. Teosto Prize, established in 2003, is one of the largest art prizes awarded in the Nordic countries.
In 2021, the Teosto Prize could not be awarded due to the corona pandemic. For this reason, the rules of the Teosto Prize were exceptionally changed so that in 2022 the prize can be awarded into a minimum of two and a maximum of four works. In a normal year, the prize is shared between 1 and 4 works. The amount to be distributed among the winners is the largest in the history of the prize, 60,000 euros. If two winners are chosen this year, they will receive 30,000 euros each.
The nominated works have been released or premiered during 2020 or 2021. Due to the pandemic, the number of nominees was increased to 12 from the regular 5–7 works of a normal year.
“The corona years 2020–21 were visible in the music field with less innovative music being released and premiered than normally. However, the works selected as nominees clearly stood out, and the jury reached their final selections surprisingly quickly and painlessly,” says Mervi Vuorela, chairperson of the pre-jury committee for the selection of Teosto Prize nominees.
Among the 12 nominees this year are two jazz albums: saxophonist Linda Fredriksson’s Juniper and composer-conductor Rasmus Soini’s compositions for Sointi Jazz Orcherstra’s Kolibri.
The pre-jury described Fredriksson's Juniper as the jazz record of a singer-songwriter, whose wonderful ensemble is permeated by a strong personal sound and emotion. Fredriksson's work defies definitions and therefore resonates across genre boundaries.
In his compositions Soini utilizes the several multi-instrumentalists among Sointi Jazz Orchestra’s 18-person ensemble on Kolibri by painting delicate, watercolor-like tonal shades that revolutionize the perception of the sound and expression of a big band line-up.
Teosto Prize Nominees 2022
- Minna Leinonen: Alma!
- Ville Aalto: Avian Electronics
- Cecilia Damström: Ice
- Adina Dumitrescu: I Smiled To The Bird On Jupiter
- Linda Fredriksson: Juniper
- Rasmus Soini: Sointi Jazz Orchestra, Kolibri
- Sanna Klemetti and Pekka Tuomi: Litku Klemetti, Kukkia muovipussissa
- Liisa Tani: Sir Liselot, Maniduros
- Eevil Stöö and company: Marsipan Wave
- Sami Hynninen: Opium Warlords, Nembutal
- Laura Naukkarinen, Matti Bye and Janne Laine: Launau, Själö
- Johanna Rasmus and company: Yona, Uni johon herään
The winners will be announced at an invitational event at the Musiikkitalo restaurant on May 19.
Photo: Jussi Helttunen