Published on Sunday 3 December 2023

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 - Heart of Gozo Museum