Jussi Awards

Overview

The Jussi Awards are Finland's national film prizes and the oldest national film award in Europe, first presented in 1944. Organized by Filmiaura, an association of Finnish film professionals, the awards honor outstanding achievement in Finnish cinema across acting, directing, writing, and technical categories. The 80th ceremony took place on March 20, 2026, at the Messukeskus Helsinki, hosted by presenter Gogi Mavromichalis and broadcast live on MTV3.

The 80th ceremony was dominated by A Light That Never Goes Out (Jossain on valo joka ei sammu), a drama film directed by Lauri-Matti Parppei, which won 7 awards from 10 nominations including Film of the Year, Directing, Lead Actor, and Screenwriting. The final award was presented by President of Finland Alexander Stubb. The Jussi Awards official site and the Finnish Film Foundation announcement publish full results.

Finland produces approximately 30 to 40 feature films per year, supported by the Finnish Film Foundation and regional funding bodies. For the 80th ceremony, 30 feature films and 6 documentary films released in 2025 were eligible for Jussi Awards. Of those, 19 theatrical releases and 3 short films received nominations. Finnish cinema has gained international visibility through filmmakers like Aki Kaurismaki, whose distinctive deadpan style earned him the Grand Prix at Cannes for Fallen Leaves (2023), and through a growing cohort of younger Finnish directors working across genres.

Eligibility and Voting

The Jussi Awards cover Finnish films released in theaters during the calendar year. For the 80th ceremony, films released in 2025 were eligible. The process operates in two stages:

1. Nominations: A selection committee appointed by the Filmiaura Board names the nominees. The committee consists of rotating industry professionals. For the 80th ceremony, the committee included producer Venla Hellstedt, director Marja Pyykko, screenwriter Anna Ruohonen, actors Leea Klemola and Pelle Heikkila, cinematographer Paivi Kettunen, editor Joona Louhivuori, composer Artturi Taira, sound designer Akseli Soini, production designer Sattva-Hanna Toiviainen, costume designer Kirsi Gum, makeup designer Laura Rantaniemi, director Arto Halonen, and VFX designer Pasi Jakkula, plus Filmiaura board members Hannele Marjavaara and Leena Virtanen.
2. Winners: The members of Filmiaura vote for the winners. Filmiaura is an association of Finnish film professionals, and its membership determines the recipients in all competitive categories.

Nominations for the 80th ceremony were announced on January 28, 2026, at Cinema Gilda in Helsinki.

Key Categories

The Jussi Awards present awards across the following categories:

• Film of the Year - the top prize, awarded to the producer
• Directing of the Year
• Lead Actor of the Year - gender-neutral, recognizes leading performance
• Supporting of the Year - gender-neutral, recognizes supporting performance
• Breakthrough Role of the Year - recognizes an emerging performer
• Ensemble of the Year - recognizes a cast ensemble
• Scriptwriting of the Year
• Cinematography of the Year
• Music of the Year
• Sound Design of the Year
• Editing of the Year
• Production Design of the Year
• Costume Design of the Year
• Make-Up Design of the Year
• Visual Effects of the Year
• Documentary Film of the Year
• Short Film of the Year
• Lifetime Achievement Award (Concrete Jussi) - for career achievement
• Nordisk Film Award - recognition for filmmakers who have elevated Finnish cinema
• International Breakthrough Award - new category first awarded in 2026
• Audience Favorite - voted by the public (sponsored by Finnkino)
• Achievement of the Year - selected by the Filmiaura Board

History

The Jussi Awards were first presented in 1944, making them the oldest national film award in Europe. The award is named after Jussi Jurka, the stage name of Finnish actor Urho Somersalmi. The statuette is a plaster figure designed by sculptor Ben Renvall, later cast in bronze for the Concrete Jussi lifetime achievement award.

The ceremony has run continuously for 80 years, with the 2026 gala themed around cinemas. Filmiaura board chair Hannele Marjavaara noted in her opening speech that Finland has nearly 200 movie theaters, which drew 6.3 million visitors in 2025, with over 2 million tickets sold for domestic films. The theme underscored the connection between theatrical distribution and the domestic film industry's viability.

Finnish cinema has gained increasing international visibility in recent years. Aki Kaurismaki's Fallen Leaves (2023) won the Grand Prix at Cannes and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Jalmari Helander's Sisu franchise achieved international commercial success, and Helander received the inaugural International Breakthrough Award at the 80th ceremony, sponsored by Nespresso with a prize of 2,000 euros.

Recent Results (80th Jussi Awards, March 2026)

Complete list of winners:

• Film of the Year: A Light That Never Goes Out - producer Ilona Tolmunen / Elokuvatuotantoyhtio Made
• Directing of the Year: Lauri-Matti Parppei, A Light That Never Goes Out
• Lead Actor of the Year: Samuel Kujala, A Light That Never Goes Out
• Supporting of the Year: Ville Tiihonen, 100 Litres of Gold
• Breakthrough Role of the Year: Anna Rosaliina Kauno, A Light That Never Goes Out
• Ensemble of the Year: Pirjo Lonka, Elina Knihtila, 100 Litres of Gold
• Scriptwriting of the Year: Lauri-Matti Parppei, A Light That Never Goes Out
• Cinematography of the Year: Max Smeds, Orenda
• Music of the Year: Lauri-Matti Parppei, A Light That Never Goes Out
• Sound Design of the Year: Juuso Oksala, Yngve Leidulv Saetre, A Light That Never Goes Out
• Editing of the Year: Markus Leppala, Arthur Franck, The Helsinki Effect
• Production Design of the Year: Vilja Katramo, Okku Rahikainen, Raptures
• Costume Design of the Year: Eugen Tamberg, Never Alone
• Make-Up Design of the Year: Salla Yli-Luopa, Sisu: Road to Revenge
• Visual Effects of the Year: Jussi Lehtiniemi, Sisu: Road to Revenge
• Documentary Film of the Year: The Helsinki Effect - director Arthur Franck, producers Sandra Enkvist, Oskar Forsten, Arthur Franck / Polygraf
• Short Film of the Year: My Name is Hope - director Sherwan Haji
• Concrete Jussi (Lifetime Achievement): Jussi Makela - for career as financier and distributor of Finnish films
• Nordisk Film Award: Pirjo Lonka and Elina Knihtila, 100 Litres of Gold
• International Breakthrough Award: Jalmari Helander - for the Sisu franchise
• Audience Favorite: Cancel (voted by public via Finnkino)
• Achievement of the Year: Laura Sutinen - for international production hosting work
• Most awards: A Light That Never Goes Out (7)
• Most nominations: A Light That Never Goes Out (10), 100 Litres of Gold (6), Raptures (5)

Business Impact for Filmmakers

For Finnish filmmakers, a Jussi Award is the highest domestic honor and has direct career and financial effects. The award influences future funding applications to the Finnish Film Foundation, which allocates production support based on a filmmaker's track record. A Jussi win strengthens a filmmaker's position in Nordic and European co-production networks, where prior award recognition serves as evidence of commercial and artistic viability for potential co-production partners.

Finland's active participation in Nordic Film and TV Fund collaborations means Jussi recognition carries weight across Scandinavia. Finnish films that perform well at the Jussi Awards often secure distribution in other Nordic territories and qualify for Nordic Council Film Prize consideration. The 2026 ceremony's theme of cinemas reflected the 2 million domestic tickets sold in 2025, a figure that demonstrates the commercial viability of Finnish-language content and supports the case for continued public funding.

The new International Breakthrough Award, first awarded to Jalmari Helander for the Sisu franchise, acknowledges Finnish filmmakers who achieve international commercial success. The Sisu films demonstrated that Finnish-language action cinema can reach global audiences, with the franchise generating significant international box office revenue. This award signals to the industry that international market expansion is a recognized path for Finnish talent, not just domestic recognition.

For short film and documentary winners, the Jussi Award provides visibility that can lead to feature film financing. Past short film winners have gone on to direct funded feature projects within two to three years of their Jussi win, using the award as leverage in Finnish Film Foundation applications.

Eligibility Quirks That Trip People Up

• Mistake: Assuming any film released in Finland qualifies. Correct rule: Only films released in Finnish theaters during the calendar year are eligible. Films that premiered only at festivals or went directly to streaming without a theatrical run do not qualify for the main competitive categories.
• Mistake: Expecting separate Best Actor and Best Actress categories. Correct rule: The Jussi Awards use gender-neutral acting categories. Lead Actor of the Year and Supporting of the Year recognize any performer regardless of gender. This structure differs from most international awards ceremonies.
• Mistake: Assuming the public votes on all categories. Correct rule: Only the Audience Favorite category uses public voting, sponsored by Finnkino. All competitive categories are decided by Filmiaura members. The public has no direct vote on the main awards.
• Mistake: Missing the theatrical release requirement for documentaries and shorts. Correct rule: Documentary and short film categories require a theatrical release or festival premiere during the eligibility year. Online-only releases do not qualify unless they had a qualifying theatrical run.

Prestige Tier

The Jussi Awards are Finland's highest national film honor and the oldest national film award in Europe, first presented in 1944. They sit at the top of Finland's awards hierarchy, above all other domestic film recognition. In the Nordic region, the Jussi Awards rank alongside Sweden's Guldbagge Awards and Denmark's Robert Awards as the definitive national cinema prize. Internationally, the Jussi Awards sit below the Academy Awards, BAFTA, and European Film Awards in global recognition but carry strong authority within Nordic co-production networks. For Finnish filmmakers, a Jussi win carries more domestic career value than any international festival prize. The new International Breakthrough Award, first awarded to Jalmari Helander for the Sisu franchise in 2026, acknowledges that international commercial success is a recognized path for Finnish talent alongside domestic recognition.

What Filmmakers Should Know

If you are a Finnish filmmaker planning a Jussi submission, confirm your film has a qualifying theatrical release during the calendar year before the eligibility window closes. The selection committee appointed by the Filmiaura Board names nominees, so there is no self-submission process for the main categories. The key trade-off: a Jussi Award delivers maximum value for Finnish Film Foundation funding applications and Nordic co-production opportunities but carries limited weight with international buyers outside Scandinavia. Finnish films that win Jussi Awards often secure distribution in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, with Nordic territory deals typically ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 euros depending on the film's commercial profile. For short film and documentary winners, the Jussi Award provides visibility that can lead to feature film financing within 2 to 3 years. Past short film winners have used the award as leverage in Finnish Film Foundation applications to secure production funding for debut features.

Watch

See Also

For understanding how Nordic co-production structures work, see Distribution Deals Explained. To model revenue across European territories, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For evaluating the cost of an awards campaign against projected returns, use the Ad Spend Break-Even Calculator.