A Night of Triumph for Danish Cinema at the 2026 Robert Awards
On January 31, the Robert Awards, Denmark’s prestigious film accolades, took place at the Tivoli Hotel and Congress Centre in Copenhagen, showcasing a remarkable year for both national cinema and television. This year’s event was marked by the outstanding performances of The Girl with the Needle, directed by Magnus von Horn, and Second Victims, the debut feature by Zinnini Elkington, which collectively dominated the ceremony.
The Girl with the Needle emerged as the clear frontrunner of the night, clinching eight awards out of its 15 nominations. This triumph further solidified the film’s momentum on the international awards circuit, especially following its recent Oscar nomination. The haunting period drama not only garnered significant accolades, such as Best Actor for Besir Zeciri and Best Supporting Actress for Trine Dyrholm, but also excelled in technical categories, winning Best Cinematography for Michal Dymek, along with awards for set design, costume design, make-up, original score, and visual effects. This impressive sweep highlighted the film’s technical prowess and artistic achievements across various categories.
Emerging Voices Shine Bright
Equally noteworthy was Second Victims, which made a strong impression by walking away with six awards, including Best Feature Film and Best Director for Zinnini Elkington, as well as Best Original Screenplay. This remarkable success showcases the growing presence of first-time filmmakers in the industry, marking a significant milestone in Robert Awards history.
The evening also highlighted the breakthrough talents of writers Mathias Bro and William Lippert, who received the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sauna. Additionally, Honey, directed by Natasha Arthy, captured two awards, including Best Children & Youth Film and Best Original Song, reinforcing the diversity of narratives celebrated at the ceremony.
Documentary Excellence Recognized
In the documentary category, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin, was honored with Best Documentary. This film, also nominated for an Oscar, showcases the strength of Danish-backed non-fiction works on an international scale. The award for Best Short Documentary went to My Class in Greenland, while Korean Bloom took home the award for Best Short / Animation Film.
International films were also celebrated, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another winning Best English-language Film and Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here receiving the Best Non-English-language Film award.
Television Highlights and Honoring Industry Figures
On the television front, Secrets We Keep was named Best TV Series, while The Asset dominated the acting categories with three wins, including Best Actor for Afshin Firouzi and Best Actress for Clara Dessau. The audience award, presented by Nordisk Film Cinemas, went to The Last Viking, directed by Anders Thomas Jensen, which has garnered attention at both the Venice and Toronto film festivals.
The ceremony also took time to honor significant contributors to the industry, with Marianne Christensen receiving the Honorary Robert Award, and Trine Heidegaard being recognized with the IB Award. Emerging talent was celebrated with the Pluto TV Talent Award, awarded to Camilla Arlien.
A Comprehensive List of Winners
Here’s a recap of the key winners from the 2026 Robert Awards:
- Best Feature Film: Second Victims – Zinnini Elkington
- Best Children & Youth Film: Honey – Natasha Arthy
- Best Director: Zinnini Elkington – Second Victims
- Best Original Screenplay: Zinnini Elkington – Second Victims
- Best Adapted Screenplay: William Lippert, Mathias Bro – Sauna
- Best Actor: Besir Zeciri – The Girl with the Needle (Denmark/Poland/Sweden)
- Best Actress: Özlem Saglanmak – Second Victims
- Best Supporting Actor: Anders Mossling – My Eternal Summer
- Best Supporting Actress: Trine Dyrholm – The Girl with the Needle
- Best Cinematography: Michal Dymek – The Girl with the Needle
- Best Set Design: Jagna Dobesz – The Girl with the Needle
- Best Costume Design: Malgorzata Fudala – The Girl with the Needle
- Best Make-up: Anne Cathrine Sauerberg – The Girl with the Needle
- Best Editor: Ania de Sá – Second Victims
- Best Sound Design: Catrine le Dous, Jakob Strandgaard – Second Victims
- Best Score: Frederikke Hoffmeier – The Girl with the Needle
- Best Original Song: “Hey Honey” – Honey
- Best Visual Effects: Peter Hjorth – The Girl with the Needle
- Best Documentary: Mr. Nobody Against Putin – David Borenstein, Pavel Talankin (Denmark/Czech Republic/Poland)
- Best Short Documentary: My Class in Greenland – Ulla Søe
- Best Short / Animation Film: Korean Bloom – Lin Jo Skytte
- Best English-language Film: One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)
- Best Non-English-language Film: I’m Still Here – Walter Salles (Brazil/France)
- Best TV Series: Secrets We Keep – Ingeborg Topsøe
- Best Short TV Series: Clown X
- Best Actor – TV Series: Afshin Firouzi – The Asset
- Best Actress – TV Series: Clara Dessau – The Asset
- Best Supporting Actor – TV Series: Jan Linnebjerg – Generations
- Best Supporting Actress – TV Series: Maria Cordsen – The Asset
- Honorary Robert Award: Marianne Christensen
- IB Award: Trine Heidegaard
- Pluto TV Talent Award: Camilla Arlien
- Nordisk Film Cinemas Audience Award: The Last Viking – Anders Thomas Jensen (Denmark/Sweden)
As the evening concluded, it was clear that Danish cinema is not only thriving but also embracing new voices and perspectives, promising an exciting future for film and television in the country.
