The winners of the prestigious Prix Europa have been announced, and 22 July, created by Sara Johnsen and Pål Sletaune, was awarded ‘Best European TV Fiction Series of the Year.’ Prix Europa is Europe’s largest festival for television, radio, and online media.

Sara Johnsen and Pål Sletaune has to date been awarded Seriekritikerprisen, the Fritt Ord Tribute, the Nordic TV Drama Screenplay Award and three Golden Screen Awards for their lauded drama series.

The lauded drama series 22 July, created by Sara Johnsen and Pål Sletaune, has been awarded ‘Best Drama’ at the newly founded Norwegian Seriekritikerprisen.

Anna Bache-Wiig and Siv Rajendram Eliassen’s successful series Witch Hunt earned a nomination in the same category, and won ‘Best Actor’ for lead actress Ingrid Bolsø Berdal’s performance as the main character.

Seriekritikerprisen is the first Norwegian Critics Award solely for TV series. The jury consists of 18 critics from Norwegian media houses, and the awards come in three categories: ‘Best Drama,’ ‘Best Comedy’ and ‘Best Actor’.

Pål Sletaune is one of Norway’s leading writers and directors. Sletaune has gained great creative and commercial success both with his feature films and drama series.

1997 marked the release of his first feature film, Junk Mail, which quickly became a big hit among critics and audiences. Junk Mail was among else selected as the Norwegian entry for ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ at the 70th Academy Awards, won ‘Best Film’ at the Amanda Awards, and was selected for the critic’s week at Cannes Festival, where it was awarded the top prize in its category. Among Sletaune’s other films one can find You Really Got Me (2001), Next Door (2005), and Babycall (2011). Sletaune is also one of the directors on the first season of the highly successful series Occupied (2015).

Sletaune is, together with Sara Johnsen, creator, writer and director of the acclaimed TV drama 22 July, a series about the everyday heroes who took action following the terror attack in Norway in 2011. 22 July premiered in January 2020 and has been lauded in Norwegian and international press. At the Golden Screen Awards, 22 July was voted ‘Best TV Drama’ and Sletaune won in the category ‘Best Director’.

Sara Johnsen and Pål Sletaune’s lauded TV series 22 July was awarded the prestigious prize for ‘Best TV Drama’ at this year’s Golden Screen Awards. Johnsen and Sletaune also won in the categories ‘Best Script’ and ‘Best Director’ respectively.

Earlier this year, Sara Johnsen won the Nordic TV Drama Screenplay Award as the writer of 22 July.

The nominees for the 2020 Golden Screen Awards have been revealed. The Golden Screen (Gullruten) is the annual award for the Norwegian TV industry and their equivalent to the American Emmy Awards.

Pål Sletaune and Sara Johnsen are both nominated for their lauded TV series 22 July, Sletaune for ‘Best Director’ and Johnsen for ‘Best Script’. 22 July is also nominated for ‘Best TV Drama’. Øystein Karlsen, creator of the success series Exit, is nominated for ‘Best Script’ and ‘Best Director’ alongside Exit’s nominations for ‘Best TV Drama’ and ‘Best Innovation’. The much acclaimed TV series Witch Hunt, created and written by Anna Bache-Wiig and Siv Rajendram Eliassen, is also nominated for ‘Best TV Drama’.

The winners will be announced on July 19 and the award show will air on TV 2 Norway and TV 2 Sumo.

Sara Johnsen and Pål Sletaune have been announced as the recipients of the Fritt Ord Tribute for their TV series 22 July. The Fritt Ord Tribute acknowledges remarkable efforts to promote free speech, often in connection with current affairs.

22 July has received great praise in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and earlier this year Johnsen was awarded the Nordic TV Drama Screenplay Award for her outstanding writing on the series.

22 July, the absorbing new drama series from award-winning filmmakers Sara Johnsen and Pål Sletaune, premiered January 5 on NRK and has received great reviews in the Norwegian press.

“As good as TV gets. /…/ Johnsen and Sletaune have created an ingenious and poignant TV series.”
–Nettavisen

“Hard-hitting and nuanced.”
–Dagbladet

“Shocking and realistic. /…/ Sara Johnsen and Pål Sletaune delivers an impressive and solid piece of work.”
–KRSby

“Respectful and critical.”
–Verdens Gang

“An affectionate and multifaceted portrait.”
–Morgenbladet

“A powerful July 22 series with pain and critique.”
–Adresseavisen

“22 July is an impressive accomplishment. /…/ What they have achieved is a difficult feat. They have produced a series that is important. And dignified. /…/ See it.”
–Rushprint

NRK’s new series For Life and 22 July will both make their debut at the Cannes fall content market, the largest TV market in the world.

For Life, created by Gjermund Stenberg Eriksen, is a highly innovative crime series set in two timelines: in present day, as we follow investigator Victoria Woll, solving cases and putting criminals behind bars, and in the future, when she herself has been incarcerated. For Life will premiere on NRK in spring 2020.

NRK’s other anticipated series, 22 July, created by Sara Johnsen and Pål Sletaune, explores how ordinary people responded to the tragedy of July 22nd, 2011, when a heavily armed right-wing terrorist attacked a summer camp full of youths. 22 July will premiere on NRK January 2020.