LATVIA – ANNUAL AWARD
The Award for Outstanding Achievement in Culture was presented for the ninth time at a ceremony held on 5 December.
«Latvia is a cultural centre. Yes, it is an ambitious statement, but the annual Ministry of Culture award for Excellence in Culture vividly proves it. We are proud of our personalities who have made a significant contribution to promoting Latvian cultural values, raising Latvia’s profile in the world and cultural value in Latvian society. Cultural superiority is not a self-evident quality. It has always been forged and developed over the years, setting ever higher goals. And this is especially noteworthy», stresses Latvia’s Minister of Culture Nauris Puntulis.
The Ministry of Culture previously reported, that eight applicants have responded to this year’s call for nominations. This year’s applicants represent cultural sectors such as music, literature and books, visual arts, film and design.
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The nominations were submitted by institutions administered by the Ministry of Education, by sector councils of experts, by NGOs and legal entities. The submitted applications were evaluated by the Latvian National Council of Culture and approved by Minister of Culture Nauris Puntulis in accordance with the statutes of the Prize. The Excellence in Culture Award of the Ministry of Culture was established in 2014.
This year’s awards for excellence in culture were presented to director Viestūras Kairis, the publisher «Liels un Mazs» and the Latvian Radio Choir.
Film and theatre director Viestūras Kairis was awarded the Award of Cultural Excellence for exploring important historical and contemporary themes in films and theatrical works of a high artistic level for Latvian society. Of particular note is the director’s latest feature film January, which received considerable international acclaim, winning top honours at film festivals in New York, Warsaw and Rome.
Publishing house «Liels un Mazs» received a high award for valuable, socially active and internationally recognised activities in the field of children’s book publishing, culminating in the prestigious 2022 Bologna International Children’s Book Fair award in the category «Best Children’s Publication» in Europe.
On the other hand, the award was given to the Latvian Radio Choir for their excellent performance at the national and international level, with special recognition for the musical recordings made by the choir, as well as the vibrant, highly professional concert activities in Europe and the world, which allowed the works of several Latvian composers to enter the international music scene.
In recent years the awards have gone to:
Aleksandrs Antonenko, Janis Nords, Janis Lipke Memorial, Signe Baumane, Iveta Apkalnas, Andris Freibergs, Turaida Museum-Reserve, Rasa and Raitis Šmiti, Andris Nelsons, H2E Design Bureau, Gidons Kremers and the Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra, director Alvis Hermanis, Latvian National Museum of Art, Rolands Kalniņš and Nora Ikstena, Imants Lancmanis, Elīna Garanča and Anna Lauder, Marina Rebeka, Gundega Laiviņa, Latvian Literature Platform, Peteris Vasks, Anete Melece, Rundāle Palace Museum.
