Edvard Fuglø wins design of Faroese honour insignia

Artist Edvard Fuglø has been chosen to design the Faroe Islands’ new public honour, which anyone will be able to nominate people for, KVF reports.

The project began in 2023, when the then Faroese government asked Sólja í Ólavstovu, Dan Knudsen and others to recommend an honour that could be compared with, for example, the Danish Knight’s Cross and Iceland’s Falcon, while still being distinct.

“This honour was meant to be for the people, not one awarded by the government to those who have held a particular office, for example,” said í Ólavstovu, who chaired the committee.

The group visited neighbouring countries to learn about their honours systems and consulted the language council on the name, which needed to avoid confusion with other awards. The name chosen was Tignarmerki Føroya, or the Faroe Islands Honour Insignia. Fuglø was selected in a design competition for invited participants, and the proposed design is now open for public consultation.

Unlike honours systems in neighbouring countries, anyone will be able to nominate someone for the Faroese award. Nominations may recognise contributions in fields including the arts, volunteer work, business, public service and sport. A committee will choose the recipients, and the insignia will be presented at New Year. If plans proceed as intended, the first award will be presented on January 1, 2028, Knudsen said.