Established in 2005, the award is given annually to a person or an organisation in recognition of their outstanding achievement in promoting minority culture and identity.

The award this year went to Sándor Bedics (Slovene), Mihály Cserháti (Romanian), Levente Galda (Slovak), Polish-born pianist Izabella Darska, Dezső Kardos (Swabian), Alekszandra Kormányos (Ukranian), Árpádné Kovács (Roma), Ivan Micov Jordanov (Bulgarian), Stefanidu Janula (Greek), László Szám (Armenian) and Sándor Szmolár (Ruthenian). The two organisations receiving the award include Orkestar Poklade group promoting Balkan-Serbian folk music and the Korjeni Women’s Choir for Croatia.

Presenting the award, Semjén said that “the mission of Hungarian national minorities is to be faithful to their own, sole, unrepeatable heritage; to preserve and pass it on, because this is a value only they can give to their mother nation, Hungarians and universal humanity."


MTI Photo: Zoltán Balogh