This year’s winners of the annual Premju għall-Arti organised by Arts Council Malta, have been announced during an awards night at Fort St Angelo, Birgu.
This is the fifth edition of the Arts Awards and follows two years of virtual awards due to the pandemic. For this year’s edition Arts Council Malta has received over 300 submissions, with 100 making it to the nominations stage. For each category the nominations were short-listed to 3 finalists out of which a winner was announced during the awards night.
This edition of Premju għall-Arti consisted of 14 awards out of which 10 were competitive, 3 honorary and one special award at the discretion of Arts Council Malta for extraordinary contribution towards arts and culture during the year, an award which was awarded for the first time during this edition of the Premju għall-Arti.
During his speech, Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici said: “Each year, il-Premju għall-Arti continues to evolve, after unveiling it for the first time five years ago. We are now in its fifth year, and I am looking forward to seeing the tangible outcomes brought along with such an initiative, within the sector. Through all of this, we continued to regenerate and grow, to have a sustainable, accessible sector, catering for the continued strengthening od professionalisation.”
Executive Chairman of Arts Council Malta Albert Marshall stated that, “as Arts Council, we aim to continue working towards the strengthening of the platform of artists, cultural practitioners and the culture and creative sectors, and the Premju għall-Arti is an essential link in the Council’s chain of initiatives, projects and opportunities, which give us the opportunity to do so. Thanks to this initiative, we can continue to award the various forms of art and different genres, whilst also building upon our continuous community outreach as a Council.”
Premju għall-Arti is Arts Council Malta’s celebration of the main achievements of the Maltese cultural and creative industries. As highlighted in the National Cultural Policy 2021 this is a high-profile national event awarding excellence in the field of culture and the arts, while encouraging more professionalism and distinction within the sector. This aligns with ACM’s first guiding principle as stipulated in its Strategy 2025 which is to champion the advancement of the status of the artists, and cultural and creative practitioners.
The winners of each category are:
Best work for young audiences
The Secret Garden Valletta Cultural Agency and Lignin Stories
Young artist of the year
Anna Calleja, Homebound
Best project in the community
L-Imbuljuta: A Panto in the Dark
Written & Directed by Vikesh Godhwani & Marta Vella. Produced by Spazju Kreattiv in Collaboration with Teatru Malta and Esplora
Honour for artistic legacy
Karnival ta’ Malta, Festivals Malta
Award for national artistic excellen
Mużika Mużika, Festivals Malta
Innovation award
Zoom, Tyrone Grima, Joseph Galea and Keith Chetcuti
Best international achievement
The Nobodies A Chalk Line Theatre production, written by Amy Guyler
Best creative enterprise
Stephanie Borg
Best artistic programme or season
Spazju Kreattiv – September 2020 to August 2021 Fondazzjoni Kreatt
Honour for cultural promoters
Mark Weingard
Artist of the year
Brodu with albums Blu and Bambinella
Audience’s choice
Ħax-Xjuħ Teatru Malta, Josette Ciappara and Tony Cassar Darien
Production of the year
They Blew Her Up Co-produced by Herman Grech and Spazju Kreatt
Written and directed by Herman Grech
Lifetime achievement award
Tanya Bayona
