On September 12, 2024, a gala for the 49th edition of the Oskar Kolberg Award "For Services to Folk Culture" took place at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. Awards were presented to laureates from various regions of Poland in seven categories. The recipients included folk artists, researchers, institutions, and organizations documenting and promoting Polish traditional culture.
This year’s gala was hosted by Podhale musician Krzysztof Trebunia-Tutka. In addition to the laureates and jury, the ceremony was attended by Hanna Wróblewska, Minister of Culture and National Heritage, and Adam Nowak, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
"The Oskar Kolberg Award ceremony for services to folk culture is a very special moment because for the 49th time we have the honor of recognizing those who preserve and pass on the heritage of our ancestors. The laureates are the best example of hard work, thanks to which our folk culture not only survives but also inspires and finds new forms of expression in the contemporary world. Their creativity and activities serve as a bridge between tradition and modernity, the past and the present. [...] I congratulate this year’s laureates; your achievements are not only a testament to your passion and talents but also to the extraordinary importance of preserving traditions in today’s times. Thanks to you, folk culture thrives, and its beauty can be admired and rediscovered by future generations," said Hanna Wróblewska.
Once again, as part of the Oskar Kolberg Award, a special distinction was given to an exceptional student nominated by a Master of Tradition. This year, the award went to Maria Polowczyk. All the laureates received Oskar Kolberg Medals designed by Anna Jarnuszkiewicz, along with commemorative diplomas and financial awards funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Mazovian Voivodeship Government.
After honoring the laureates, the name of a local government representative who had shown outstanding commitment to the preservation and development of traditional culture in their region was announced. This year, the title of Ambassador of Traditional Culture was awarded to Stanisław Szydlik, the village leader of Bandysie. Since the inception of the Kurpiowska School of Tradition, he has supported its activities, actively participated in events organized as part of the Kolberg Academy, and assisted in their realization.
Following the gala, a concert featuring the laureates was held at the headquarters of the National Institute of Music and Dance, accompanied by a traditional dance party. Performers included the Góralski Song Theater "Dunawiec" from Lower Silesia, Anna Chudy with her students (including Maria Polowczyk) from Biskupizna, Anna Dunat and a band from the Żywiec region, the Folk Band from Gniewczyna Łańcucka, the Regional Ensemble "Wilamowice," and the Sercówka Band from the Municipal Cultural Center in Podegrodzie.
The concert and dance party were organized by the National Institute of Music and Dance and the National Institute of Rural Culture and Heritage.
The concert was accompanied by an exhibition titled "Byśki, Kozy i Pająki – Folk Culture through the Lens of Marta Ankiersztejn," featuring portraits of selected laureates from the past four years, as well as works such as sculptures, textiles, paper cutouts, and lace created by artists depicted in the photographs.
Press release
List of laureates - on the website: https://nimit.pl/aktualnosci/nagrody-im-oskara-kolberga-za-zaslugi-dla-kultury-ludowej-trafily-dzis-do-laureatow/
