President Highlights Unity in Cultural Identity

This afternoon, Catalan president Salvador Illa delivered a speech at the Auditori Pau Casals in El Vendrell during the ceremony for the 2026 Premis Nacionals de Cultura. Speaking at an event marking the 150th anniversary of Pau Casals’s birth, Illa invoked the cellist’s famous declaration, "I am a Catalan", to call for a modern, collective affirmation: "We are Catalans". "In 2026, we can say to the world a 'we are Catalans', a collective where everyone feels represented and actively involved," Illa stated, emphasising inclusion and shared identity. The event was attended by Culture Minister Sònia Hernández and Consell Nacional de la Cultura i de les Arts (CoNCA) president Margarida Troguet. It formed part of a wider commemorative programme for Casals, a global symbol of cultural commitment, peace, and freedom, which began in April 2026 and will continue until October 2027 with over 70 events across local, national, and international levels.

Honouring 2026’s Leading Cultural Figures

The following individuals and groups were awarded the Premis Nacionals de Cultura 2026:

  • Sílvia Pérez Cruz – for musical excellence and vocal and interpretative quality rooted in rigorous, continuous training.
  • Pol Guasch – for the strength of his emerging literary career spanning poetry and narrative.
  • Cabosanroque – for original artistic practice bridging music and visual installations.
  • Jaŋde Editorial – for founding a publishing house specialising in fiction and non-fiction in Catalan and Spanish, creating space for Catalan literature by authors with underrepresented experiences and imaginations.
  • Oriol Pla – for a brilliant acting career, from early performances in his family’s circus and street theatre company to standout roles in theatre, television, and film.
  • Victoria Szpunberg – for combining humour and irony with complex contemporary themes and philosophical ideas expressed through everyday situations that deeply resonate with audiences.
  • Àlex Ollé – for his distinctive creative vision, reinterpreting traditional stage languages and classical works with a contemporary, transgressive approach.

Culture as a Right and Engine of Belonging

Illa praised the recipients as exemplars of Catalonia’s vibrant cultural moment, stating: "In Catalonia, we have made culture one of our pillars. We understand it as a right, as a generator of belonging, and as a motor of prosperity." He added that Catalan culture stands as both a distinctive mark and a universal force, rooted in values, tradition, excellence, and innovation, especially in an increasingly homogenising world. CoNCA president Margarida Troguet described the awards as "a celebration of talent, commitment, and the country’s creative strength", noting that the laureates reflect a living, diverse, and constantly evolving culture. She reaffirmed culture as a right that must be guaranteed. Illa also thanked the recipients for their commitment to art, language, freedom, and democracy, stating that "the moral force of Pau Casals’s words resonates anew in each of your creations." The Auditori Pau Casals in El Vendrell, Casals’s birthplace, was chosen as a tribute to his legacy. The 150th anniversary commemorations, approved by the Catalan government in 2026, include the 45th International Pau Casals Music Festival and other events listed on the official cultural agenda.

Primary sources: govern.cat, elvendrell.net, agenda.cultura.gencat.cat, eb.gencat.cat. Reported by ACN, bonart.cat, rtve.es, revistamusical.cat, expansion.com, paucasals.org, en.ara.cat.