Since the beginning, the award ceremony had been produced in cooperation with the Norwegian state broadcasting corporation Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK).

[9] Supposedly the song in turn refers to a real woman from the 1920s – a single mother who made a living from selling liquor to sailors during the prohibition period.

[2] The figurine that is awarded to prize winners originated from a competition held by the local newspaper Haugesunds Avis in 1985, to create a sculpture of the legendary Amanda.

In 2005, as Breien was presented with an honorary award, she was also given back the original sculpture by former Minister of Culture and director of the Swedish Film Institute, Åse Kleveland.

[10] The award show has long been a central point of the film festival, as well as a major television event for the whole of Norway.

Examples of this are Roger Moore, who was a special guest at the first ceremony in 1985,[2] and Diana Ross in 1987, then married to Norwegian entrepreneur Arne Næss, Jr.[11] Other international names appearing in the show as presenters have included Ned Beatty, Lauren Bacall, Jon Voight, Brian Cox, Jeremy Irons, Ben Kingsley and Pierce Brosnan.

[6] An episode that received some media attention in 2005 was when host Marit Åslein and Minister of Culture and Church Affairs from the Christian conservative party KrF, Valgerd Svarstad Haugland, kissed on stage as part of a humorous routine.

[14] Erik Gustavson has the rare distinction of having won in three different categories: for best film and best documentary, in addition to winning the special "Nordic Amanda" in 1993.