Two laureates refuse Czech state prizes for culture in Prague

At the ceremony for the State Prizes in Culture at Prague’s Rudolfinum, two laureates refused to accept their awards: artist and educator Anna Daučíková and the family of director Juraj Herz, who received a posthumous prize for his contribution to cinema and audiovisual art. The host did not mention those who declined in his speech on stage.

Protests outside the Rudolfinum

Before the ceremony began, several associations organised protests, including the Society of Translators and the group Umění trvá. Participants quietly read aloud on the steps of the Rudolfinum, voicing support for freedom of expression and creative work, which they say are currently under threat because of the culture ministry’s actions.

The protesters also objected to the format of the ceremony, to which journalists were officially not admitted. Inside the hall, a banner reading “Culture minister must resign!” briefly appeared in the audience.

Who received the prizes

In the field of film, a prize also went to Helena Bezděk Fraňková, founder and longtime director of the State Cinematography Fund and later the State Audiovisual Fund. She will spend the 300,000 crowns prize money on developing breast prostheses for women after breast cancer. “So we can say that the culture ministry supports the creation of mastectomy aids and breast prostheses,” she remarked.

The 2026 State Prize for literature went to writer, essayist and translator Václav Jamek for the novel “A Year with the Other Orphans”, in recognition of his earlier work as well. The translation prize was awarded to Stanislava Pošustová-Menšíková for “a timeless translation of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and for setting a high bar for the entire fantasy genre”.

The prize for contribution to theatre went to theatre photographer and educator Josef Ptáček, who worked at the Drak, Naivní divadlo, Minor and Divadlo Na zábradlí theatres and taught at the Hradec Králové photography conservatory, at the FAMU photography department and at the DAMU puppetry department. In music, the ministry honoured musicologist, music historian and educator Vlasta Reittererová.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz