The sound of Christmas on the radio
Christmas is the sound of music – from classic tunes that immediately evoke Christmas associations, to songs that aren’t really about Christmas but have become constant companions in December. Some songs paint pictures of snow, stars and the holiday season, while others simply have that vibe that makes them favorites year after year.
Gramo statistics show that "Driving Home for Christmas" by Chris Rea was the most played Christmas song on the radio last year with over 107 hours of playing time.
In second place we find The Pogues with “Fairytale of New York”, while Maria Mena takes an impressive third place with “Home for Christmas”. She is also represented with the Norwegian version of the song; “Jula hjemme” in 19th place, in a duet with Trygve Skaug.
Norwegian artists account for 10 of the 24 most played Christmas songs on the radio last year.
Ayden Foyer's "Christmas Reminds Me", which was released last year, went straight into the Christmas charts.
Other current affairs
Main payment from Gramo for 2025
Gramo has distributed and paid out NOK 117.7 million to artists, musicians, record labels and personal producers for the use of recorded music in 2025 and subsequent payments for 2023 and 2024. This is the first of three payments in 2026.
Read moreMain payment from Gramo for 2025
New and robust rights management system in 2026
Last year, Gramo's board decided to introduce a new rights management system (the system that calculates and pays out remuneration to our rights holders), thereby phasing out the proprietary system that has been in operation since 2015. The goal is lower annual costs, increased standardization and strengthened international collaboration in Gramo's rights management.
Read moreNew and robust rights management system in 2026
TONO and Gramo coordinate rights management for background music
Over 16,000 Norwegian businesses will have a simpler everyday life when TONO and Gramo coordinate their services within background music. All businesses and organizations that use recorded music in public places will, from September 1, receive all services in one place, and a joint invoice from both organizations from January 1, 2026.
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