Famous Norwegian Women

Aurora is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, and dancer. Gifted from a young age, she began writing songs at the age of six! She began her career self-releasing her works. She received a favorable response from the audience and was soon able to establish herself as a popular singer. Her music encompasses electro-pop, folk, and art-pop elements. 

Anni-Frid Lyngstad is a Norwegian-Swedish environmentalist, singer, and songwriter. She is credited with co-founding the popular Swedish pop band ABBA and popularizing the band by serving as its lead singer. In 2010, Anni-Frid Lyngstad was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2014, she received the Eskilstuna Music Prize for her contribution as an "icon."

Sigrid Raabe is a Norwegian singer-songwriter who won the BBC Music Sound of 2018. Sigrid's debut studio album Sucker Punch, which released in 2019, debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart. Over the years, Sigrid has won several prestigious awards, such as the MTV Europe Music Award.

Girl in Red is an indie-pop music project by Norwegian singer-songwriter Marie Ulven Ringheim. She became interested in music and songwriting as a teenager. With her family’s encouragement, she began releasing Norwegian music and soon earned a decent following. She has also appeared in a TV program. She is openly queer and is considered a queer icon. 

Kristine Froseth is a Norwegian and American model and actress. She is known for playing important roles in popular TV series, such as The Society and Looking for Alaska. Froseth was discovered at Ski Storsenter where she was taking part in a catwalk audition. She then went on to model for brands like Armani before establishing herself as an actress.

Norwegian actress-film director Liv Ullmann is counted among the greatest European actresses. She is best-known for her roles in films like The Emigrants and Face to Face, both of which earned her Oscar nomination, and the former won her a Golden Globe She received an Honorary Academy Award. Her second directorial feature-film Faithless was nominated for Palme d'Or in 2000.

Norwegian actress Ingrid Bolsø Berdal is best known for her role in the  Norwegian slasher film Cold Prey, for which she won the Amanda Award (the Norwegian Film Award) for Best Actress. She is a versatile actress and has appeared in horror, thriller, drama, and romantic comedy genres. Besides films and TV shows, she also often acts in theater productions.

The 1990s’ superhit dance track Barbie Girl made both the Danish-Norwegian band Aqua and its lead singer, Lene Nystrøm, international sensations. While Lene dated fellow band member René, she later married another band member, Søren. She later appeared in the Varg Veum film franchise and also reunited with her band.

Daughter of King Edward VII of Norway, Maud of Wales, was known for being a tomboy and had even been nicknamed Harry, after a valiant admiral. She married Prince Carl of Denmark. After Carl took over as King Haakon VII of Norway, Maud became the queen of Norway, too.

The 35th prime minister of Norway and the 2nd female Norwegian politician to hold the position, Erna Solberg now leads the Conservative Party and thus serves as the Leader of the Opposition. She previously earned the nickname Iron Erna for her stern decisions as Norway’s Minister of Local Government and Regional Development.

ALRA alumna Amrita Acharia is best known as Dothraki handmaiden Iri from the series Game of Thrones. The Nepalese-Ukrainian actor is also known as Dr. Ruby Walker from The Good Karma Hospital and has appeared in films such as I Am Yours. She also works to rehabilitate trafficked Nepalese children.

Tagged by the media as Boxing’s First Lady, Norwegian boxer/kickboxer Cecilia Braekhu scripted history by becoming the first female boxer to hold the WBA, IBF, WBC, and WBO titles at the same time. Colombian-born Braekhu was adopted by a Norwegian couple as a 2-year-old and began boxing as a teenager.

Norwegian actor-model Natassia Malthe is known for playing strong female characters, such as assassins. She played a bounty hunter in Knights of Bloodsteel. Featured on Maxim Hot 100, Malthe is half-Malaysian through her mother. She was one of countless women who had accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct.

Marianne Ihlen was a Norwegian woman best remembered as the girlfriend and muse of popular Canadian singer-songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen. Cohen dedicated many of his poems to Ihlen and their relationship, along with Marianne Ihlen's life and career, inspired the 2019 documentary movie Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love. 

Alexandra Andresen is a Norwegian heiress who made headlines in 2016 when she became the youngest billionaire in the world at the age of 19! She was named the world's youngest billionaire by Forbes for three consecutive years. Alexandra Andresen has also modeled for the equestrian clothing company KingsLand and has won several honors and awards in horse dressage competitions.

Lene Marlin is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, and musician. Marlin made an impressive debut when she released her single Unforgivable Sinner (1998) which became the fastest selling single in the history of Norwegian music. In 1999, she received the MTV Europe award for her stage performance in Dublin, Ireland. Marlin has also been nominated for prestigious awards including BRIT Awards.

Leading former golfer Suzann Pettersen, also known as Tutta, was 6 when she participated in her first tournament. Initially also interested in skiing, Pettersen later focused on golf. Her illustrious career saw her win 22 titles, 15 of them on the LPGA Tour and 6 on the LET.

Linn Ullmann is a Norwegian journalist, author, and literary critic. Apart from writing popular novels, Ullmann also writes columns for leading Norwegian newspapers. Linn Ullmann is the recipient of prestigious awards such as the Gold Pen, Amalie Skram Prize, and Norwegian Readers' Prize.  

A 5-time Olympian, Norwegian skier Marit Bjørgen has 15 Olympic medals, including 8 golds, which is a Winter Olympics record in itself. She had begun competing at 7 and also has 18 World Championship gold medals. Her use of an anti-asthma drug once caused doping rumors.

Liv Kristine is a Norwegian singer best known as an exponent of numerous subgenres of heavy metal music. Kristine is credited with pioneering gothic metal, which has since found many representatives across Europe. Over the years, Liv Kristine has contributed to the success of many bands like Theatre of Tragedy, Leaves' Eyes, and Atrocity. 

Sigrid Undset was a Norwegian novelist best remembered for her trilogy of historical novels, Kristin Lavransdatter. In 1928, she was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize for literature, which she donated on 25 January 1940 in order to support the Finnish war effort during the Second World War. A crater on Venus is named in her honor.

Maria Mena is a Norwegian pop singer best known for her songs Just Hold Me and You're the Only One. A successful singer, many of her studio albums have peaked in the top 10 of VG-lista. Maria Mena has won several awards including the Spellemannprisen, Norwegian Music Critics Award, and Norsk Artistforbund's Honorary Award.

Grete Waitz was a Norwegian marathon runner who became the first female runner to complete a marathon in less than two and a half hours in 1979. A former world record holder, Waitz won a record nine New York City Marathons between 1978 and 1988. Grete Waitz is also remembered for winning the silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games.