On April 1 2026 Rikke Frigast Jakobsen and Josefine Weber Hansen received the Hans Christian Andersen Prize for their opera Tommelise (Thumbelina).

Since 1996, the Hans Christian Andersen Prize Committee has presented its honorary prize to 93 individuals and organizations across 21 different countries, from China to Brazil – not to mention Denmark, of course! Every single recipient represents work with H. C. Andersen that has been truly exceptional.

In its motivation for the prize, the Hans Christian Andersen Prize Committee wrote:

“It became a moving performance about belonging and finding one’s identity, brought to life through music whose tonal language doesn’t immediately seem particularly child-friendly. But thanks to the well-crafted plot and easily identifiable characters, previously award-winning Josefine Weber Hansen also creates a musical universe where everyone – young and old – feels both warmly welcomed and inspiringly challenged by the sounds and melodies.”