The Hedda Award is a Norwegian theatre award, first awarded in 1998. It is named after the character "Hedda" from Ibsen

Henrik Ibsen

Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...

's play Hedda Gabler

Hedda Gabler

Hedda Gabler is a play first published in 1890 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The play premiered in 1891 in Germany to negative reviews, but has subsequently gained recognition as a classic of realism, nineteenth century theatre, and world drama...

. Among the prize categories, which have varied over the years, are best theatre production, best direction, best stage performance, and occasionally an honorary prize.

Recipients of the Honoary Prize are Wenche Foss

Wenche Foss

Eva Wenche Steenfeldt Stang , better known as Wenche Foss, was a leading Norwegian actress of stage, screen and television.-Biography:...

 (in 2002), Jon Fosse

Jon Fosse

Jon Fosse is a Norwegian author and dramatist.Fosse was born in Haugesund, Norway and currently lives in Bergen. He debuted in 1983 with the novel Raudt, svart . His first play, Og aldri skal vi skiljast, was performed and published in 1994. Jon Fosse has written novels, short stories, poetry,...

 (2003), and Toralv Maurstad

Toralv Maurstad

Toralv Maurstad is a prominent actor of Norwegian stage, screen and television. By many regarded as the leading Norwegian actor of his generation, he is the son of the highly regarded actor Alfred Maurstad and actress Tordis Maurstad, and half-brother of actress Mari Maurstad.Maurstad graduated...

 and Espen Skjønberg

Espen Skjønberg

Espen Skjønberg is an actor of stage, screen and television.He made his first movie appearance as a child in the 1937 Norwegian classic Fant. His stage debut came reciting poetry at the Norwegian theatre Chat Noir in 1945...

 (both in 2005). Else Nordvang in 2008 and Edith Roger in 2010.