This year, 41 artists took part in 16 nominations. The jury selected 17 winners.
The Lviv Opera House hosted the award ceremony for culture, literature, art, journalism and architecture. This is the most prestigious creative award in the region.
This year, 41 artists submitted their works to the jury. The participants competed in 16 nominations. The jury chose 17 winners from among the entries. The list of winners is available at посиланням.
Most of the winners announced on stage that they would donate the prize money to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For example, Yaroslav Derpak is an actor at the Maria Zankovetska National Academic Ukrainian Drama Theatre. He won the award for his performance as Kuzma in the play Me, Victory and Berlin by Andriy Kuzmenko.
“In fact, I believe that this award is not my merit, but that of our military personnel. It is thanks to their efforts that I am able to go on stage every night to the audience. I am also grateful to the entire creative team of our performance. I will donate the prize money to support the army,” said Yaroslav Derpak.
The winners were selected by 22 jury members. The total prize fund of the award is one million hryvnias. The amount of the cash prize for each nomination is 55 thousand. The funds were allocated from the regional budget in accordance with the Comprehensive Programme for the Development of Culture in Lviv Region for 2021-2025.
“For me, art and culture are an outlet. It’s not about hiding from the war. It’s about feeling life, which, unfortunately, is being desensitised by the war every day… Next to the mountains of work documents, I always have books with Ukrainian prose and poetry. I like to read and re-read. I like to listen and re-listen. I try not to miss the opportunity to see actors perform live in theatres. The fact that our cultural sector is developing despite everything is also an important confirmation that we are creating a new history of Ukraine. Everyone on the front line is fighting for it. And all people in creative professions are creating.
I thank each and every one of the winners for showing the whole world the depth of the Ukrainian soul, the pain of the Ukrainian people and our desire to live, raise children, work and create in a sovereign and independent state. And you remind the Ukrainians themselves of all this,” said Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv Regional Military District Administration.
The regional prize in culture, literature, art, journalism and architecture has been in place since 2002. New original works and works published in their final form within the last three years, but not later than six months before their nomination for the Prize, are eligible for the Prize.
Previous winners of the regional prize include Roman Ivanychuk, Mykola Ilnytskyi, Viktor Kaminskyi, Yurii Laniuk, Roman Bezpalkiv, Taisiia Lytvynenko, Mykhailo Dzyndra, Andrii Sodomora, Fedir Stryhun, Bohdana Frolyak, Orest Skop, Oleksandr Bozhyk, Volodymyr Dubas, Bohdan Sehin and many others.
For reference:
The procedure for reviewing documents, including the admission of candidates and determining the winners, is regulated by the Regulations on the Regional Prize, approved by the decision of the Lviv Regional Council session of 28.06.2024 No. 591.
Applications for the Prize are submitted to the Department of Culture, which presents the works to the jury, whose members are approved by the Presidium of the Regional Council for a period of 3 years.
During its meetings, the jury decides on the admission of nominees to participate in the Prize, and determines the winner (laureate) by secret ballot.