Årets Näck
Encyclopedia
Årets Näck is an annual competition to select the year's incarnation of the Näcken or Nix
, a male fairy
creature in Sweden
. The competition takes place at the Tannery Holmen located in Billstaån, Hackås, Bergs kommun, in southern Jämtland
. The contest is part of "Hackås Days" (Hackåsdagarna) festival organized by the Hackås District Foundation.
The contestants for the Årets Näck title compete by sitting or standing in the river while virtually nude and playing an instrument (typically the violin
) in order to portray the Nix. Participants have also competed acapella, on drum, or on accordion.
In 2009, the competition was atypically won by a saxophone
player, Martin Norberg.
2. The contestant may only cover himself with things that he can find in nature.
3. A musical work will be played by each participant, either a traditional piece or newly composed. It should be performed on a "magically" tuned violin.
4. The order of competitors will be decided by a random drawing at the music cafe at Strömbacka Mill prior to the contest.
5. A three-man jury of two people skilled in folk music and a non-folk-musician female judge score the contestants according to the following criteria: musical performance, charisma and convincingness. After deliberation the jury announces the results, which can not be appealed.
6. The winner receives a priceless handwritten certificate and SEK 2,000 (increased from 2004).
7. The winner of each of the three selection criteria receives SEK 500 in premiums (in 1998).
8. Since 2004, there has also been a crowd's prize awarded of SEK 500.
1996 - Werner Gladh (5 competitors)
1997 - Peter Roos (7 competitors)
1998 - Peter Roos (6 competitors)
1999 - Pelle Bolander (9 competitors)
2000 - Anders Hall (8 competitors)
2001 - Werner Gladh (5 competitors)
2002 - Joel Berglund (3 competitors)
2003 - Daniel Wikslund (5 competitors)
2004 - Joel Berglund (7 competitors)
2005 - Joel Berglund (5 competitors)
2006 - Joel Berglund (number of competitors not recorded)
2007 - Sten Andersson (5 competitors)
2008 - Ross Campbell (Ahmadabad - U.S.) (6 competitors)
2009 - Martin Norberg (4 competitors)
2010 - Olle af Klintberg
(6 competitors)
2011 - Samuel Lundström (5 competitors)
appeared on TV4's Talang, Sweden's "Got Talent" show. In that episode, when the curtains opened, Olle was portraying the Näcken by sitting on a rock with blue cloth on the floor to represent water, and water lilies placed around the stone and in his hair. He played the violin and sang a verse from Näcken, a poem by Erik Johan Stagnelius
. Judges Bert Karlsson
and Charlotte Perrelli
voted against Olle, while Johan Pråmell voted for him.
Nix
The Neck/Nixie are shapeshifting water spirits who usually appear in human form. The spirit has appeared in the myths and legends of all Germanic peoples in Europe....
, a male fairy
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
creature in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The competition takes place at the Tannery Holmen located in Billstaån, Hackås, Bergs kommun, in southern Jämtland
Jämtland
Jämtland or Jamtland is a historical province or landskap in the center of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders to Härjedalen and Medelpad in the south, Ångermanland in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag and Norway in the west...
. The contest is part of "Hackås Days" (Hackåsdagarna) festival organized by the Hackås District Foundation.
The contestants for the Årets Näck title compete by sitting or standing in the river while virtually nude and playing an instrument (typically the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
) in order to portray the Nix. Participants have also competed acapella, on drum, or on accordion.
In 2009, the competition was atypically won by a saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
player, Martin Norberg.
Rules of the competition
1. The competition is open only to male musicians.2. The contestant may only cover himself with things that he can find in nature.
3. A musical work will be played by each participant, either a traditional piece or newly composed. It should be performed on a "magically" tuned violin.
4. The order of competitors will be decided by a random drawing at the music cafe at Strömbacka Mill prior to the contest.
5. A three-man jury of two people skilled in folk music and a non-folk-musician female judge score the contestants according to the following criteria: musical performance, charisma and convincingness. After deliberation the jury announces the results, which can not be appealed.
6. The winner receives a priceless handwritten certificate and SEK 2,000 (increased from 2004).
7. The winner of each of the three selection criteria receives SEK 500 in premiums (in 1998).
8. Since 2004, there has also been a crowd's prize awarded of SEK 500.
Past Winners
1995 - Werner Gladh (4 competitors)1996 - Werner Gladh (5 competitors)
1997 - Peter Roos (7 competitors)
1998 - Peter Roos (6 competitors)
1999 - Pelle Bolander (9 competitors)
2000 - Anders Hall (8 competitors)
2001 - Werner Gladh (5 competitors)
2002 - Joel Berglund (3 competitors)
2003 - Daniel Wikslund (5 competitors)
2004 - Joel Berglund (7 competitors)
2005 - Joel Berglund (5 competitors)
2006 - Joel Berglund (number of competitors not recorded)
2007 - Sten Andersson (5 competitors)
2008 - Ross Campbell (Ahmadabad - U.S.) (6 competitors)
2009 - Martin Norberg (4 competitors)
2010 - Olle af Klintberg
Olle af Klintberg
Olle af Klintberg is a male folk musician from Sweden who is best known for playing the fiddle, and for winning the national title of Årets Näck in 2010....
(6 competitors)
2011 - Samuel Lundström (5 competitors)
Related
On April 23, 2010, Olle af KlintbergOlle af Klintberg
Olle af Klintberg is a male folk musician from Sweden who is best known for playing the fiddle, and for winning the national title of Årets Näck in 2010....
appeared on TV4's Talang, Sweden's "Got Talent" show. In that episode, when the curtains opened, Olle was portraying the Näcken by sitting on a rock with blue cloth on the floor to represent water, and water lilies placed around the stone and in his hair. He played the violin and sang a verse from Näcken, a poem by Erik Johan Stagnelius
Erik Johan Stagnelius
Erik Johan Stagnelius was born October 14, 1793 in Gärdslösa, on the island Öland, Sweden, and died on April 3, 1823 in Stockholm. He was a Romantic poet and playwright....
. Judges Bert Karlsson
Bert Karlsson
Bert Willis Karlsson is a Swedish record company manager, entrepreneur, former politician and front figure of the New Democracy party....
and Charlotte Perrelli
Charlotte Perrelli
Charlotte Perrelli is a Swedish singer and occasional television host, perhaps most famous for winning the 1999 Melodifestivalen and subsequently that year's Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Take Me to Your Heaven."Since then she has released six singles and five albums...
voted against Olle, while Johan Pråmell voted for him.