Presentation of the Kossuth and Széchenyi Prizes on 15 March, Hungary’s national holiday
Dr. Tamás Sulyok, President of Hungary, presented the Kossuth and Széchenyi Prizes in the Dome Hall of the Parliament Building on the occasion of our national holiday on 15 March.
The Kossuth Grand Prize was awarded to:
- György Kurtág — recipient of the Wolf Prize, twice awarded the Kossuth Prize and three times the Ferenc Erkel Prize — is honoured as a composer and pianist, and as a holder of the titles Outstanding Artist and Meritorious Artist of Hungary, in recognition of his exceptional and epoch-making body of work, his innovative renewal of the finest traditions of Hungarian classical music, his worldwide artistic influence, and his formative teaching of generations of musicians.
- Miklós Melocco, Artist of the Nation, recipient of the Kossuth and Munkácsy Mihály Prizes, Meritorious Artist, holder of the Hungarian Corvin Chain, and full member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, in recognition of his body of work, which is of exceptional value and epoch-making significance for Hungary, and his creative artistry, which renews the language of sculpture with monumental power and profound humanistic content, reflecting the unity of tradition and modern spirit.
The Kossuth Prize was awarded to:
- Gábor János Csupó, multiple Emmy Award-winning director of animated and live-action films, producer and musician, in recognition of his exceptionally valuable career for Hungary, his exemplary creative work which has strengthened the reputation of Hungarian culture, emerged from the finest traditions of Hungarian animated film art, and achieved unparalleled success worldwide,
- Mónika Fischl, Liszt Ferenc Prize-winning singer and actress, in recognition of her artistic career of exceptional value to Hungary, her memorable performances in leading soprano roles, and her dedicated and successful work as a performer, through which she has popularised the operetta genre worldwide.
- Tibor Gáspár, Jászai Mari Prize-winning actor, director and Meritorious Artist, in recognition of his artistic career of exceptional value to Hungary, his outstanding performances in tragic, comic and absurd plays alike, and his memorable roles on stage, in film and as a voice actor,
- Levente Gyöngyösi, Ferenc Erkel Prize-winning composer and Meritorious Artist, in recognition of his artistic career, which is of exceptional value to Hungary and highly regarded in the international music world, and his works, composed with unparalleled ingenuity and an innovative formal language, which appeal to a wide audience,
- András Kisfaludy, Balázs Béla Prize-winning director and producer, distinguished and meritorious artist, and member of the General Assembly of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, in recognition of his exceptionally valuable artistic career for Hungary, his remarkably prolific and versatile creative work enriching Hungarian culture with iconic documentary films, and his significant work as a performer,
- János Lackfi, writer and poet, winner of the Laurel Wreath and József Attila Awards, in recognition of his exceptionally valuable literary work for Hungary, characterised by a distinctive expressiveness and elegant lightness, yet containing profound thoughts hidden within playful turns of phrase, his particularly outstanding writing in the field of children’s literature, and his versatile activities promoting literary fiction,
- Károly Nemcsák, Jászai Mari Prize-winning actor, holder of the Outstanding Artist and Meritorious Artist of Hungary honours, member of the General Assembly of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, for his exceptionally valuable artistic career in the service of Hungary, his memorable and highly popular performances in both television and feature films, as well as his exemplary work as a theatre director,
- Attila Pataky, singer, songwriter, and frontman of the rock band EDDA Művek, in recognition of his career of exceptional value to Hungary, his epoch-making role in Hungarian rock music as one of the most prominent figures in the decades surrounding the political transition, his performing art marked by unique dynamism and enduring popularity, as well as his significant work as a songwriter and band leader.
- Robert Lantos, film and television producer, in recognition of his career, which is of exceptional value to Hungary and outstanding on an international level, particularly his work in bringing about the historical television series ‘Hunyadi’, which presents Hungarian history—which shaped the fate of medieval Europe—in the language of young people and with world-class visuals.
- Magdolna Rúzsa, winner of the Máté Péter Award, singer, songwriter and lyricist, in recognition of her performing art, which is exceptionally valuable to Hungary, outstandingly successful and exemplary throughout the Carpathian Basin, and which enriches Hungarian popular music in a diverse manner; her distinctive compositions, which blend jazz and classical elements; and her lyrics with a unique atmosphere,
- József Szurcsik, Munkácsy Mihály Prize-winning visual artist, Meritorious Artist of Hungary, full member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, former Vice-Rector, in recognition of his exceptionally valuable artistic career for Hungary, his creative work characterised by evocativeness and a distinctive system of motifs, his outstanding artistry not only in painting, graphic art and sculpture but also in performance and artistic-musical performance, and his valuable work in art education,
- Erzsébet Tóth, winner of the Laurel Wreath and József Attila prizes, poet and writer, full member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, in recognition of her exceptionally valuable artistic career for Hungary, her poems which represent conservative values and vividly capture both social and personal issues , and her poetry which renews the Hungarian lyrical tradition.
The Kossuth Prize was awarded jointly to:
- István ‘Szalonna’ Pál, a folk musician and recipient of the Franz Liszt Prize, holder of the Outstanding Artist and Meritorious Artist of Hungary awards, artistic director of the folk ensemble Szalonna és Bandája, and a member of the General Assembly of the Hungarian Academy of Arts,
- Eszter Pál, Franz Liszt Prize-winning folk musician, member of the Szalonna és Bandája ensemble,
- Róbert Doór, folk musician and member of the Szalonna és Bandája ensemble,
- Attila Gera, clarinettist and folk musician, member of the Szalonna és Bandája ensemble,
- Tamás Gombai, folk musician, university lecturer, member of the Szalonna és Bandája ensemble,
- Gyula Karacs, folk musician, member of the Szalonna és Bandája ensemble,
- Sándor Ferenc Ürmös, folk musician, member of the Szalonna és Bandája ensemble, in recognition of his artistic work, which is of exceptional value to Hungary, representing the musical heritage of the Carpathian Basin with dignity and great success both at home and at the world’s most prestigious venues, and strengthening Hungarian cultural identity and the social esteem of folk music.
The Széchenyi Prize was awarded to:
- Gyula Dávid, literary historian, literary translator and editor, in recognition of his academic career of exceptional value to Hungary, his achievements in the study of Hungarian literary history both universally and in Transylvania, and his exemplary work in cultural public life, book editing and cultural organisation,
- Dr. Péter Gáspár, mechanical engineer, research professor, full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, university lecturer, in recognition of his scientific career of exceptional value to Hungary, his outstanding research and achievements in the fields of model-based and data-based control theory and integrated and coordinated vehicle control, as well as his exemplary teaching activities,
- Dr. István Imre Gera, periodontist and professor emeritus, in recognition of his scientific career of exceptional value to Hungary, his outstanding work as the founder of the Hungarian school of periodontology, which enjoys high international esteem, and his exemplary contributions to medical practice and education.
- Dr. Gábor Kecskeméti, literary historian, research professor, full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, university lecturer, in recognition of his exceptionally valuable academic career for Hungary, his work in the field of early Hungarian literature which has renewed the approach, methods and tools of research, and his activities as a leading figure in Hungarian textual criticism, which have also enriched numerous international programmes,
- Dr. Péter Komjáth, mathematician, full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, university professor, in recognition of his scientific career of exceptional value to Hungary, particularly his internationally significant research in the field of combinatorial set theory, which has a long-standing tradition in Hungary, and his innovative scientific work resulting in the solution of numerous notable long-standing problems,
- Prof. Dr. Ferenc Krausz, Nobel and Wolf Prize-winning physicist, recipient of the Order of St. Stephen of Hungary, holder of the Hungarian Corvin Chain, external member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and full professor and head of department, in recognition of his exceptionally valuable scientific career for Hungary, his decisive and outstanding research supporting the birth of attosecond physics, which has opened up new horizons in the study of matter and electron motion, and his innovations promising breakthroughs not only in basic research but also in future medical and technological applications,
- Dr. István Kukorelli, Legal scholar, Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Professor Emeritus, in recognition of his exceptionally valuable academic career in Hungary, his outstanding research in constitutional fundamental rights, suffrage, and the history of public law, his exemplary teaching, as well as his significant publications and broad professional and public engagement.
- Dr. Imre Lengyel, mathematician, economist, Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, professor emeritus, in recognition of his exceptionally valuable academic career for Hungary, his outstanding research work in the fields of regional and urban economics – particularly in the study of regional economic growth and development – as well as his dedicated teaching and active professional public engagement,
- Dr. Zoltán Zsolt Nagy, ophthalmologist, corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, clinic director and university professor, in recognition of his exceptionally valuable academic career for Hungary, his research, successfully applied in the HUNOR Hungarian Astronaut Programme, which has been instrumental in the field of the ophthalmological effects of long-term space travel, as well as his achievements in developing new methods in cataract and refractive surgery, and his outstanding work as a clinician and educator,
- Dr. Csaba Pál, biologist and corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, in recognition of his scientific career of exceptional value to Hungary, his internationally outstanding research achievements combining the methodologies and concepts of antibiotic research, genome engineering, evolutionary theory and systems biology, and his pioneering work in supporting young researchers,
- Dr. Iván Szántó, orientalist, art historian, associate professor and head of department, in recognition of his academic career of exceptional value to Hungary, his internationally acclaimed achievements in the study of Islamic art, and his work as one of the leading authorities on 16th–19th-century Iranian art history, which has enriched both international and domestic scholarship,
- Dr. László Trócsányi, Legal scholar, university professor, rector, former Constitutional Court judge, minister, and ambassador, in recognition of his academic career of exceptional value to Hungary, particularly in the fields of comparative constitutional law, administrative justice, and European public law, his prolific and significant scholarly output, as well as his effective teaching and dedicated public service.
- Dr. Tivadar Vida, archaeologist, corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, institute director and university professor, in recognition of his exceptionally valuable academic career for Hungary, his internationally significant achievements in research into the Migration Period in the Carpathian Basin, particularly his work as the Hungarian leader of the HistoGenes bioarchaeological research programme, and his significant work as a research organiser and pioneering educator at both national and international levels,
- Dr. Gergely Attila Zaránd, physicist, full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Vice-Rector for Research, professor, in recognition of his exceptionally valuable scientific career for Hungary, his pioneering research in the field of theoretical solid-state physics in Hungary, his results in the investigation of quantum systems which have attracted considerable international attention, and his outstanding work as a scientific organiser.