The Eliason Merit Award

The Award

In spirit of furthering Swedish- American relations, SACC-LA presents the Eliason Merit Award – an exclusive annual red carpet event – to individuals who have contributed to strengthening the relations between the United States and Sweden in the areas of commerce, culture, science and arts.

The award has been named in honor of the late Sven A Eliason, who through his great contributions to many Swedish- American causes exemplified the requirements for this award. Bengt S Olin the founder of the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles initiated the The Eliason Merit Award in 1988. Previous recipients include Tove Lo (Artist), Steve Angello (DJ and record producer), Dolph Lundgren (Actor), Joel Kinnaman (Actor), Per Hallberg (Sound editor & three-time Academy Award winner), Pia Sundhage (Head Coach of USA’s National Soccer Team and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist) and Maud Adams (Actress).

Since 1898, the Eliason Merit Award statue has been crafted by the fantastic Orrefors. They produce art and crystal glass of finest quality, with their defining characteristics being timeless Scandinavian elegance, innovative design and genuine craftsmanship. SACC-LA is honored to have had Orrefors design the EMA statue!

The 2024 Reception

Join us Friday, June 6th, for an unforgettable evening honoring Eliason Merit Award (EMA) recipient Ludwig Göransson — one of Sweden’s most celebrated musical visionaries. A distinguished composer, film scorer, and multifaceted artist, Göransson’s accolades include two Academy Awards®, multiple Golden Globes®, Emmys®, and Grammy® wins. His latest work, Sinners, is currently the #1 film at the box office.

This red-carpet celebration takes place on Swedish National Day, adding cultural significance to an evening dedicated to recognizing extraordinary talent and global impact.

Past Eliason Merit Award Winners

  • 2024 Ludwig Göransson
  • 2022 Fredrik Eklund
  • 2021 No recipient due to the Covid-19 pandemic
  • 2020 No recipient due to the Covid-19 pandemic
  • 2019 Magnus Lygdback
  • 2018 Zlatan Ibrahimović
  • 2017 Linus Sandgren
  • 2016 Anine Bing
  • 2015 Tove “Tove Lo” Nilsson
  • 2014 Joel Kinnaman
  • 2013 Steve Angello
  • 2012 Dolph Lundgren
  • 2011 Per Hallberg, Kerstin Florian and STOPP-LA
  • 2010 Traktor
  • 2009 Pia Sundhage
  • 2008 Kerstin Alm
  • 2007 Tomas Jegeus
  • 2006 Ann-Charlotte Hanes Harvey
  • 2005 Kent Berg
  • 2004 Margareta Saperston
  • 2003 Maud Adams
  • 2002 Luther Luedtke
  • 2001 Wilhelm Wachtmeister
  • 2000 Ann-Margaret
  • 1999 Barbro S. Osher
  • 1998 Åke Sandler
  • 1997 Bengt S. Olin
  • 1996 Signe Hasso
  • 1995 Peter Hammarström
  • 1994 Margareta Sjödin- Hellsten
  • 1993 Roy A. Anderson
  • 1992 Siri M. Eliason
  • 1991 Björn Ahlström
  • 1990 Franklin S. Forsberg
  • 1989 Agneta Nilsson
  • 1988 Walter G. Danielson
In the spirit of furthering Swedish-American relations, SACC-LA presents the Eliason Merit Awards to individuals who have contributed significantly toward strengthening relations between the United States and Sweden in the areas of commerce, culture, science and the arts. The awards has been named in honor of the late Sven A. Eliason, who through his great contributions to many Swedish- American causes exemplified the requirements for this awards. Bengt S. Olin, the founder of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles (SACC-LA), initiated the Eliason Merit Award in 1988.