Årets Näck

Årets Näck (The Year's Nix) 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.[1]

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 a cappella, on drum, or on accordion.[2]

In 2009, the competition was atypically won by a saxophone player, Martin Norberg.[3]

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.

Source: [1]

Past winners
Year Winner Number of competitors
1995Werner Gladh4
1996Werner Gladh5
1997Peter Roos7
1998Peter Roos6
1999Pelle Bolander9
2000Anders Hall8
2001Werner Gladh5
2002Joel Berglund3
2003Daniel Wikslund5
2004Joel Berglund7
2005Joel Berglund5
2006Joel Berglundnot recorded
2007Sten Andersson5
2008Ross Campbell (Ahmadabad - U.S.)6
2009Martin Norberg[3]4
2010Olle af Klintberg[4]6
2011Samuel Lundström[5]5
2012Samuel Lundström[6]unknown
2013Tomas Flossman[7]unknown

On April 23, 2010, Olle af Klintberg 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.[8]

References
  1. Hernmarck, Calle. "Årets Näck (official contest site)". Stiftelsen Hackåsbygden. Retrieved Jun 29, 2011.
  2. Lindbäck, Lina (Jul 14, 2009). "Fem modiga män deltog i Årets näck". ÖP.se. Retrieved Jun 15, 2011.
  3. Landes, David (Jul 21, 2009). "Naked horn player named Sweden's Water Fairy of the Year". The Local. Retrieved Jun 29, 2011.
  4. Berglund, Marcus (Jul 15, 2010). "Olle af Klintberg blev årets Näck". ÖP.se. Retrieved Jun 29, 2011.
  5. Lindbäck, Lina (Jul 14, 2011). "Fem modiga män deltog i Årets näck". ÖP.se. Retrieved Jul 15, 2011.
  6. Hansson, Daniel (July 13, 2012). "Han blev Årets näck". ltz.se. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  7. Nyman, Johanna (July 12, 2013). "Näcken återuppstod i ny skepnad". ltz.se. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  8. "Talang: Näcken". Talang. Season 2010. Stockholm. Apr 23, 2010. TV4-Gruppen. TV4.
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