Eleven Personalities Honoured at 19th Crystal Wing Awards
Bratislava, January 25 (TASR) – Eleven personalities from various walks of life received ‘Crystal Wing’ awards for 2015 at the 19th annual ceremony in Bratislava on Sunday evening, TASR has learnt.
Author Veronika Sikulova received the accolade in the category of journalism and literature for her book ‘Medzerovy plod’ (‘Blank Space Fruit’).
The ‘sports’ category was won by race walker Matej Toth, who became Slovakia’s first World Champion in the 50-kilometre walk in Beijing last year, ended 2015 as the number one in race walking worldwide and was even nominated for World Athlete of the Year 2015.
In economics, Jozef Barcaj was recognised for turning a declining thermal swimming facility in Podhajska (Nitra region) into a thriving tourist resort, doing so with his own resources and without help from EU Funds or subsidies.
Director Ladislav Kabos was granted the prize in the ‘theatre and audiovisual arts’ section for producing documentaries such as ‘The Man Who Changed Shanghai’, which covers the story of architect Ladislav Hudec. His films were deemed to be of high artistic value and of extraordinary value for society.
Miroslava Huncikova, the founder of the organisation ‘Little Light of Help’, which helps cancer patients and their families, became the winner of the ‘Crystal Wing’ award for philanthropy.
The award in medicine and science was bestowed on Igor Lacik, an expert in polymer chemistry, who has also been conducting long-term research into diabetes. In 2015, Lacik was instrumental in a Slovak team of researchers joining charitable organisation the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which is dedicated to funding type 1 diabetes research.
The prize in the rock pop jazz category went to singer and actress Szidi Tobias for her latest album Jolanka.
Internationally acclaimed bass singer Stefan Kocan, who regularly sings in the Metropolitan Opera in New York, La Scala in Milan and on other major stages all over the world, won in the category of music.
Artist Ivan Pavle earned Crystal Wing recognition in the ‘visual arts’ category.
This year’s extraordinary award for lifetime achievement, which is decided on by the Grand Jury of Crystal Wing, went to founder of the National Haemophilic Centre Angelika Batorova and leader of legendary Slovak pop-rock band Elan Jozef Raz.
“I believe that Elan is an abnormally smart grouping, therein lies its strength and glory. The secret behind our success is no doubt in our wits. Music is our life,” Raz told TASR.
Meanwhile, Batorova had this to say: “To me, my patients aren’t just the object of medical or scientific interest. First and foremost they enrich me, the human dimension in our daily lives, with their brave fight for life even with a chronic incurable disease. This is worthy of respect and imbues my work with meaning, and it’s worth sacrificing something of myself”.
