This year’s winners of the annual Premju għall-Arti have been announced during an awards night organised by Arts Council Malta at Manoel Theatre.
Premju għall-Arti is a celebration of the main achievements of the Maltese cultural and creative industries, awarding excellence in the field of culture and the arts, while encouraging more professionalism and distinction within the sector.
This is the sixth edition of the Premju għall-Arti Awards and for this year’s edition Arts Council Malta has received over 150 eligible nominations. For each category the nominations were short-listed to 5 finalists out of which a winner was announced during the awards night.
This edition consisted of 17 awards, out of which 14 are competitive, and 3 are honorary. This edition also saw a larger participation from the audience, whereby they contributed to 25% of the vote to 4 categories, namely Best Work for Young Audiences; Best Project in the Community; Best International Achievement: and Best Creative and Innovative Enterprise. Around 3,500 public votes were received during this edition.
Minister for the National Heritage, Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici stated “This celebratory evening continues to build up on the importance of the cultural and creative sector. A sector which is multifaceted and multidimensional, as it was clearly evidenced today.”
The Minister continued to highlight the many aspects of the sector, which are reflected in Arts Council Malta’s strategy as well in the various awards presented, including creativity and innovation, communities, education and development and internationalisation.
Albert Marshall, Executive Chairman of Arts Council Malta congratulated all those nominated and thanked them for being an integral part of the sector. “Through its work, Arts Council Malta aims to strengthen the status of the artist and cultural practitioners, and the sector itself, and its essential that we continue to provide and care for it with the right tools, in order for it to keep on creating and flourishing.”
The winners of the 6th edition of the Premju għall-Arti are:
Best work for young audiences
Shakeshorts – Chris Dingli
Best project in the community
(B’) Saħħtek – MCAST
Best artistic programme or season 2021-2022
Teatru Malta season – Teatru Malta
Best artistic programme or season 2022-2023
Spazju Kreattiv programme – Spazju Kreattiv
Best Production – theatre
It-Teatru tal-Miskin – Saydon Studio
Best Production – dance
Frida – My two accidents – Moveo Dance Company
Best Production – visual art
Spaces in Suspension – Joseph Smith and Therese Debono
Best Production – multidisciplinary
Decadence, Now – City of Art
Best Production – Music
Nomad – William Smith
Best creative and innovative enterprise
Moveo Dance Company
Young creative practitioner Award
Ann-Marie Buckle
Creative practitioner Award
Luke Saydon
Best international achievement
Urban Fabric – Open Square Collective
Award for national artistic excellence
Il-Qfil u l-Ħelsien Skont Manwel Dimech – Teatru Malta
Lifetime achievement award
Doreen Galea
Honour for cultural promoters
Dame Janatha Stubbs
Honour for artistic legacy
Ħaġar
