Swedish heavy rockers Ghost were recently celebrated as the 23rd winner of the Music Export Prize in Sweden for the year 2019. The Music Export Prize celebrates Swedish creators in the music industry and their efforts to positively spread Swedish music across the globe, with winners being chosen by a jury.
Ghost received the award yesterday (October 7th) from the Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs, Anna Hallberg, during a ceremony in the Blue Drawing Room at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (as pictured above, courtesy of Ghost’s Instagram). The band’s mastermind, Tobias Forge, accepted the award on behalf of the band.
“We wish to inform you Ghost has been declared the 23rd winner of the Music Export Prize in Sweden. Thank you for the continued support and kind words,” said Ghost.
“This year’s winner of the Music Export Prize, the rock band Ghost, is an excellent example of the Swedish music industry’s international successes. The industry has laid the foundation for unparalleled Swedish export successes, which in turn have helped spread a positive image of Sweden abroad. Ghost started off locally in Linköping and is today a global band, with fans all over the world,” noted Ms Hallberg.
The Swedish Government’s 2019 ‘Special Prize’ for long-standing contributions to the Swedish music scene went to industry expert Marie Dimberg. Other nominees for the Government’s Music Export Prize were: singer, songwriter, DJ and record producer Robyn, trumpeter Håkan Hardenberger, pop/folk group Smith & Thell, and singer and songwriter Snoh Aalegra. Previous Music Export Prize award winners include composer, conductor, and record producer Ludwig Göransson, artist and songwriter Noonie Bao, artist and songwriter Zara Larsson, songwriter and lyricist Tove Lo, and songwriter and producer Max Martin.
Regarding Ghost winning the 2019 grand prize, the Music Export Prize jury declared, “Ghost has challenged audiences and created headlines ever since the band was formed in Linköping in 2006. Today it has fans all over the world. With its mythical and occult lyrics, cloaked in melodic metal, Ghost has gone from primarily being for the initiated audience – starting with debut album Opus Eponymous from 2011 – to today being one of the rock and metal bands with the broadest audience, regardless of category. In 2019, Ghost highlighted its position as world leader when it continued its world tour, ‘A Pale Tour Named Death’. When the tour concluded in Mexico City in March this year, it had reached a total of 137 stages all over the world.”
ICYMI, during the final gig of their trek in support of their fourth studio album ‘Prequelle,’ Ghost anointed frontman and Forge’s then persona, Cardinal Copia, live on stage and introduced him as Papa Emeritus IV, who will serve as the band’s new leader for the next album cycle.
Concert shot (2014) by Johnny Perilla
