Banijay Nordic today confirms two deals for factual entertainment format, Portrait Artist of the Year. In Norway, Nordisk Banijay is producing a first season for NRK, and in Denmark, Mastiff Denmark will bring the show back to DR1 after a year-long hiatus.
Created in the UK by Storyvault and represented internationally by Banijay, Portrait Artist of the Year gives gifted painters a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to paint a star from an illustrious cast of celebrity sitters. Spanning A-List icons, acclaimed authors, elite sportspeople and hit musicians, how will the artists react to the famous face in front of their easel?
The format is set to debut on Norway’s NRK, with six episodes recorded in museums across the country. Meanwhile, production for a 6 x 60 episode run is underway in Denmark for DR1. The news comes as Sky Arts in the UK prepares to celebrate the artistic brilliance of the format with its 10th anniversary, including a special Portrait Artist of the Decade episode, with the winner of each series returning to paint Dame Judi Dench. The main series has an array of celebrated sitters, with the winner receiving a £10,000 commission to create a portrait of world-renowned conservationist and ethologist Dr Jane Goodall DBE, (Founder, Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace), to be exhibited at the UK’s National Portrait Gallery in December. In the UK, the series has grown its audience in every one of the nine transmitted series to date.
Lucas Green, Chief Content Officer, Operations, Banijay says: “Storyvault has created a masterpiece format with Portrait Artist of the Year and it’s brilliant to partner on the international roll-out. These latest deals from Nordisk Banijay for NRK, and Mastiff Denmark for DR1; along with the 10th anniversary celebration in the UK, are testament to how adaptable, joyful, and accessible this show is. These values perfectly align with what many broadcasters are looking for right now.”
Sam Richards, Co-founder, Storyvault, says: “Since its launch Portrait Artist of the Year has been responsible for shining a light on over 800 emerging artists internationally, many of whom have gone on to much wider success. We are thrilled that both Norway and Denmark will have the opportunity to become part of the format’s legacy.”
Oslo-based Nordisk Banijay, headed up by Erlend Røeggen, is behind a range of reality, entertainment, and factual hits, including 71 Degrees North and All Against 1. Meanwhile, with Kristian Farcin-Leth at the helm, Mastiff Denmark produces local versions of global formats like Starstruck and Good Luck Guys, and creates new IP such as Drag Me Out.
The UK version of Portrait Artist of the Year is produced by Storyvault Films, with Series Editor Nelda Sale and Series Director is Southan Morris. The Series Director of Production is David Buckley. Executive Producers are Danielle Graham, Samantha Richards and Stuart Prebble.