The Ethel Award was established by pianist, composer, and associate professor Pia Rasmussen. Pia was a central figure in the women’s music movement that emerged in the 1970s and remained dedicated throughout her life to improving the conditions for female musicians. When Pia learned that she was going to die from cancer, she created an award that could carry on this work. She named the award after the English composer, author, and feminist Ethel Smyth, who lived from 1858 to 1944.
The award is given to individuals who have made a special effort to improve the conditions for female musicians and who have contributed to promoting gender balance and diversity in the Danish music scene. This could be through an active political role, publicly addressing gender imbalances in the music industry, or working toward equality and diversity as a writer, researcher, booker, or other music industry gatekeeper. The Ethel Award is a political prize, and the recipient’s impact on gender equality is therefore the most important criterion.
The prize consists of an “Ethel” – a sculpture of Ethel Smyth created by sculptor Malene Bjelke – as well as 25,000 DKK, and it is being awarded this year for the 9th time.
This year, the Ethel Award goes to documentary filmmakers Line Ritz, Sandra Haugaard, and Ole Tornbjerg.
This year, the prize committee has chosen to honor the three documentary filmmakers Line Ritz, Sandra Haugaard, and Ole Tornbjerg for their documentary Sexism in the Music Industry, broadcast on DR TV in June 2024. With remarkable thoroughness and courage, they shed light on structural sexism in the music industry – a taboo subject that the documentary managed to make all of Denmark confront.
1.3 million Danes watched as 13 female musicians came forward to speak about boundary-crossing behavior, violations, and discrimination based on gender.
Some may perceive the documentary’s two episodes as primarily being about two men. But if you look beyond that and remove the lens of sensationalism, it becomes clear that the first episode thoroughly reveals the sexism faced by young and inexperienced women in the industry, while the second episode shows how sexism persists in new forms – even after one has succeeded in establishing a career. This kind of exposure is essential to understanding the full extent of the problem and truly confronting it.
Over two years of intense work, the three documentary makers spoke with more than 150 sources – people with vulnerable stories that required great courage to share publicly. Despite pressure from both the industry and those criticized in the film, they maintained a professionally and ethically rigorous approach. They resisted demands for greater sensationalism and instead chose to focus on the deeper, structural issues that create an utterly indecent working environment for women in the music industry.
The documentary succeeded in making the complex tangible: showing that one mosquito bite is manageable, but a thousand mosquito bites will drive you mad. In this way, the understanding extended far beyond the boundaries of the music industry and gave many the courage and language to speak out – across all industries and contexts.
Leading up to the broadcast, they faced massive pressure, rumors, and threats. Even when DR at times doubted whether the documentary would engage a broad audience, they stood their ground – in solidarity with their sources and with unwavering respect for decency and journalistic integrity.
With relentless perseverance, solidarity, and courage, Line Ritz, Sandra Haugaard, and Ole Tornbjerg created a documentary that not only described a reality – but gave us, both women and men, the opportunity to change it.
And for that, we award them this year’s Ethel Prize.
_____
Photo: Kim Matthäi Leland
Ethel-prisen uddeles for 9. gang på SPOT 2025
Ethel-prisen er stiftet af pianist, komponist og studielektor Pia Rasmussen. Pia var en central person i det kvindemusikmiljø, som opstod i 1970’erne, og var gennem hele sit liv engageret i at forbedre vilkårene for kvindelige musikere. Da Pia vidste, at hun skulle dø af sin kræftsygdom, oprettede hun en pris, der kunne fortsætte dette arbejde. Prisen opkaldte hun efter den engelske komponist, forfatter og feminist Ethel Smyth, der levede fra 1858-1944.
Prisen gives til personer, der har gjort en særlig indsats for at fremme vilkårene for kvindelige musikere, og som har været med til at fremme kønsbalancen og diversiteten i det danske musikliv. Det være sig som aktiv politisk rollemodel, der italesætter kønsbalancen i musiklivet eller ved at arbejde for ligestilling og diversitet som skribent, forsker, booker eller andre af musikkens gatekeepere. Ethel-prisen er en politisk pris, og derfor vægtes den impact, prismodtageren har haft på ligestillingen mellem kønnene højest.
Prisen består af en “Ethel” – en skulptur der forestiller Ethel Smyth, skabt af billedhuggeren Malene Bjelke – samt 25.000 kroner, og uddeles i år for 9. gang.
I år gives Ethel-prisen til dokumentarister Line Ritz, Sandra Haugaard og Ole Tornbjerg
I år har priskomiteen valgt at hædre de tre dokumentarister Line Ritz, Sandra Haugaard og Ole Tornbjerg for dokumentaren Sexisme i musikbranchen, sendt på DR TV i juni 2024.
Med enestående grundighed og mod har de belyst den strukturelle sexisme i musikbranchen – et tabubelagt emne, som dokumentaren formåede at få hele Danmark til at forholde sig til.
1,3 millioner danskere så med, da 13 kvindelige musikere trådte frem og fortalte om grænseoverskridende adfærd, krænkelser og diskrimination baseret på køn.
Nogle ser måske dokumentarens to afsnit som om de primært handler om to mænd. Men løfter man blikket og tager sensationsbrillerne af, bliver det tydeligt, at første afsnit grundigt afdækker den sexisme, unge og uerfarne kvinder mødes med i branchen, mens andet afsnit viser, hvordan sexismen fortsætter i nye former – selv når man er lykkedes med at etablere sig. Denne afdækning er nødvendig for at forstå problemets fulde omfang og for alvor at kunne gøre op med det.
Gennem to års intenst arbejde har de tre dokumentarister talt med over 150 kilder – mennesker med sårbare historier, som det krævede stort mod at fortælle offentligt. Trods pres fra både branchen og dem kritikken rettede sig imod, holdt de fast i en fagligt og etisk grundig tilgang. De modstod krav om større sensation og valgte i stedet at fokusere på de dybere, strukturelle problemer, som skaber et helt uanstændigt arbejdsmiljø for kvinder i musikbranchen.
Dokumentaren lykkedes med at gøre det komplekse konkret: At vise, at ét myggestik kan man leve med, men tusind myggestik bliver man sindssyg af. På den måde rakte forståelsen langt ud over musikbranchens grænser og gav flere modet og sproget til at sige fra – i alle brancher og sammenhænge.
Op til udsendelsen blev de mødt af massivt pres, rygter og trusler. Selv da Danmarks Radio i perioder tvivlede på, om dokumentaren ville kunne engagere en bred offentlighed, stod de fast – solidarisk med deres kilder og med en urokkelig respekt for ordentlighed og journalistisk håndværk.
Line Ritz, Sandra Haugaard og Ole Tornbjerg har med ukuelig vedholdenhed, solidaritet og mod skabt en dokumentar, der ikke blot beskrev en virkelighed – men gav os, både kvinder og mænd, muligheden for at ændre den.
Og for det, tildeler vi dem årets Ethelpris.
_____
Foto: Kim Matthäi Leland
