Producer Peter Bryng, director Christian Schüssler and participant Charlotta Hedlund accept the Character-Driven Reality of the Year award for Helvetesuka at the Reality Awards 2026. Photo: Espen Solli/Se og Hør.

Helvetesuka, produced by Stories for Viaplay, won Character-Driven Reality of the Year at the Reality Awards 2026. We are proud of this recognition and grateful to everyone who helped bring the series to life.

Producer Peter Bryng, director Christian Schüssler and participant Charlotta Hedlund on the red carpet after Helvetesuka won Character-Driven Reality of the Year at the Reality Awards 2026.

Helvetesuka challenges its participants both physically and mentally. For us, the heart of the series lies in its people and the relationships between them: how they face adversity, allow themselves to be vulnerable, and find the strength to support others even when they are exhausted themselves.

That is what makes this award so meaningful to us. Our heartfelt thanks go to the participants for their openness and trust, to the entire production team for their dedication behind and in front of the camera, and to Viaplay for their collaboration. See the full list of this year’s winners.

We also want to thank our team of military instructors, led by Mathias Ekornås. Their experience, clear guidance and commitment have helped shape Helvetesuka and the challenges its participants face. Unfortunately, the instructors could not attend the ceremony, as they were in the middle of filming a new season. We would have loved to share the moment with them in person. This recognition belongs to them, too.

Aina Tufte embraces Solveig Kloppen at the Reality Awards 2026, where she accepted the Participant of the Year award on behalf of her late husband, Olaf Tufte, for his contribution to Helvetesuka. Photo: Espen Solli/Se og Hør.

The evening also brought a deeply moving and bittersweet tribute. Olaf Tufte was posthumously named Participant of the Year for his contribution to Helvetesuka. His wife, Aina Tufte, accepted the award on his behalf, with their family present.

We feel deeply privileged to have worked with Olaf. To us, he embodied the Norwegian expression “hel ved” — a person of integrity, someone you could always count on. His strength came with warmth, kindness and a sense of responsibility for those around him. Even in the toughest moments, he found ways to lift others up and keep the group together.

We are grateful for the time we shared with him and for the opportunity to let viewers see some of these qualities through Helvetesuka. Knowing that audiences recognised and appreciated the person he was makes this award especially meaningful.

Our warmest thoughts are with Aina and the family. We remember Olaf with respect, warmth and gratitude.

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Production Facts

Title: Helvetesuka

Client: Viaplay

Production Company: Stories AS

Format: 10 episodes × 42 minutes