Awards, grants, and recognition
Ever year Reykjavík City gives out a number of grants for various cultural activities and three literary awards, as well as nominating a city artist each year.
City Cultural Grants
Grants are awarded annually for a wide range of artistic and cultural projects in the City. You can apply for grants for cultural activities, both individual projects, and partnership agreements, for a period of 2-3 years.
You can apply for grants in the fall and a specialized committee will review all applications.
More grants available to artists
- City Grants Are you doing good deeds?
- City Festival Fund Could your festival become a City Festival?
- City Center Fund You can apply for a grant here!
- Grants for visual storytelling of Reykjavík's history Does Reykjavík play a role in your project?
- Kjarvalsstofa in Paris Residency in Paris for creative people
- Mug Travel Fund Are you an artist looking for inspiration abroad?
- Talia Travel Fund Do you want to promote Icelandic performing arts abroad?
- Reykjavík City District Fund Bring your neighborhood to life!
City Artist
The designation of a City Artist is a tribute to an artist in Reykjavík who, through their artistic creations, has stood out and made a mark in the Icelandic art scene.
Want to see who's been a City Artist since 1995?
Literary Awards
Reykjavík is one of UNESCO’ Cities of Literature which is great recognition of the status of literature in Reykjavík and the value of the literary arts.
Reykjavík City awards three literary awards every year.
Reykjavík Children’s Book Award
Reykjavík’s Children’s Book Award is given out every year on the last day of winter at a festive ceremony in Höfði.
Tómas Guðmundsson Literary Award
The Tómas Guðmundsson Literary Award is given out every year in memory of the poet Tómas Guðmundsson for an unpublished manuscript of a book of poetry.
Guðrún Helgadóttir Children's Book Award
Guðrún Helgadóttir’s Children’s Book Award is given out every year for an unpublished manuscript of a book for children or youth to support literary innovation.