Recipients of the King's Medal of Merit in gold

Leif Vetlesen (7 August 1921 – 18 May 2003) was a Norwegian sailor, political worker, organizational worker and writer.
He was born in Kristiania as a son of engineer Alf Vetlesen (1878–1963) and teacher Aagot Bugge (1881–1967). He was a great-grandson of Frederik Moltke Bugge. He finished his secondary education at Oslo Cathedral School in 1939, and then went to sea. He was going to return to land after one year, but when Norway was involved in World War II in April 1940, their merchant fleet became a crucial asset in the war and Vetlesen stayed. He worked at sea for several years, but while hospitalized with jaundice in Cardiff, he became involved with the British Communist Party. As he became known as a good speaker, he was hired in the trade union Norwegian Seafarers' Union in 1944.After the war he launched a campaign for better treatment of war sailors, but his agitation led to him being fired from the union in 1947. In 1949 he was also excluded from the Young Communist League of Norway. His marriage since 1943 to Lorna Dilys Peaty also ended in 1949; in 1951 he married Vesla Gunvor Hansen. After the Soviet invasion of Hungary he renounced Communism and joined the Norwegian Labour Party together with his wife.Vetlesen held various jobs, both as a manual worker and electoral campaigner for the Labour Party, before being hired as information director in the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. He remained here until 1982 except for three years from 1968 to 1971 in Uganda. From 1982 to 1985 he was secretary-general of Amnesty International Norway. His wife was a government minister from 1986 to 1988.Vetlesen's former work for war sailors was taken up by Thore Horve during the 1960s, and led to an ex gratia monetary payment to sailors in 1972. Vetlesen released several books about the topic, including Sjøfolkenes kamp for det hemmelige fond (1949), Reis ingen monumenter. Kampen om Nortraships hemmelige fond (1981), Med døden i kjølvannet. Av en krigsseilers saga (1989) and Syv fortellinger fra Norges krig på havet (with others, 1993). He also wrote two books about the Communist Party and Peder Furubotn. He was decorated with the HM The King's Medal of Merit in gold in 1997, and died in May 2003 in Oslo.

Ørnulf Tofte (12 February 1922 – 26 August 2020) was a Norwegian police officer and a major figure in the Norwegian intelligence service during the Cold War. He served as assistant chief of police and head of counter-intelligence in the Police Surveillance Agency. Tofte uncovered several illegal Soviet spies and personally arrested Asbjørn Sunde, Gunvor Galtung Haavik and Arne Treholt. Tofte was widely recognized for his role during the Cold War, and received the King's Medal of Merit in Gold in 1987. He published the biography Spaneren in the same year.

Sjur Refsdal (30 December 1935 – 29 January 2009) was a Norwegian astrophysicist, born in Oslo. He is best known for his pioneer work on gravitational lensing, including the Chang-Refsdal lens.

Jorunn Kirkenær (4 May 1926 – 22 January 2021) was a Norwegian ballet dancer and choreographer.

Alf Cranner (25 October 1936 – 3 March 2020) was a major Norwegian folk singer, lyricist and painter, considered by many to be the pioneer of the Norwegian folk music wave of the 1960s. The citation for the award of Evert Taube Memorial Fund Grant 1994, to Cranner states: «Det är motiverat att anse honom som sin tids fader för den norska viskonsten» (It is motivated by the regard of him as the father of the Norwegian folk music genre). He is known for several popular folk music interpretations and beautiful folk tunes, including these: Å, den som var en løvetann with lyrics by another great Norwegian folk singer and lyricist Alf Prøysen (1914–1970), Bare skrap and Den skamløse gamle damen with lyrics by Klaus Hagerup and Sjømannsvise with the text of Harald Sverdrup. Among Cranner folk songs with his own lyrics is Båt til lyst and Hambo i fellesferien two of the best known. The folk song Din tanke er fri, is Cranner translation of the German Die Gedanken sind frei.

Nicolai Marius "Nic" Schiøll (10 October 1901 – 29 December 1984) was a Norwegian sculptor and painter. He was most known for his public works, ornamental sculptures and memorials.

Knut Torvald Giæver (10 June 1926 – 4 March 2015) was a Norwegian publisher.
He was born in Oslo, and was a brother of Jo Giæver Tenfjord. He was assigned director of the book sales club Den norske Bokklubben from 1964 to 1991. During his period the number of club members (including subsidiaries) reached about 600,000. He chaired Norske Siviløkonomers Forening from 1970 to 1974, and has been chairman of the board of Norsk Form, and board member of Nationaltheatret.He died on 4 March 2015.

Arvid Fladmoe (8 May 1915 – 18 November 1993) was a Norwegian composer and conductor. He was particularly known for his work as conductor of opera and operetta.

Ørnulf Bast (25 January 1907 – 28 October 1974) was a Norwegian sculptor and painter particularly known for his public monuments.

Torstein Eliot Berg Grythe (24 November 1918 – 1 May 2009) was a Norwegian choir leader.
He was born in Kristiania as a son of tailor Endre Grythe (1882–1955) and Asta Berg (1897–1978). He enrolled in violin studies at the Norwegian Academy of Music in 1927, and joined the boys' choir Olavsguttene in 1928 and Oslo Domkor in 1932. He became vice conductor under Arild Sandvold. In 1940 he started the boys' choir Sølvguttene ("The Silver Boys"). During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany he was arrested on 29 November 1943 and was imprisoned in Grini concentration camp until 23 December. In August 1946 he married civil servant Eva-Marie Lindegaard.Sølvguttene was ultimately organized in relation to Operation Weserübung. Grythe had played the viola in the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation radio orchestra since 1937. In 1951 he was appointed as conductor of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation boys' choir, founded in 1947. The choir was incorporated into Sølvguttene in 1967, and conducted the choir until 2004.He also conducted other choirs, including the Bondeungdomslaget men's choir in 1952 and the Norwegian Student Choral Society from 1973 to 1976. He was a music teacher at Foss Upper Secondary School from 1955 to 1972 and at Oslo Teachers' College from 1972 to 1987.He was decorated with The King's Medal of Merit in gold, the Medal of St. Hallvard and the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. He received silver and gold records, the Spellemann Honorary Award in 1990, and the Gammleng Prize in 1996.