Frederik and Mary present the Crown Prince Couple's Culture Prize

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary have awarded the Crown Prince Couple's Culture Prize last night at the new opera house, Operaen, in Copenhagen. It is the venue for a concert to be broadcast on DR TV. The award of the prize is marked by a concert, and this year P.J. Harvey will be performing. P.J. Harvey described the Crown Prince Couple Awards as prestigious, although it is only in its second year. Last year Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds performed (interesting since Nick Cave used to have a big thing for Polly!). The Kulturepris honours artistic and humanitarian achievements in Denmark and is a wedding present to Frederik and Mary by Bikubenfonden.dk.

Politiken reports the winner of the artistic achievement prize is Olafur Eliasson who was awarded 500.000 Danish kroner. His website is one you have to mouse around to see the info and images. Eliasson was educated at the Royal Academy of Art in Copenhagen and works in multiple media but is probably best known as an installation artist who has exhibited internationally and now lives in Berlin.

The humanitarian achievement award was made to Julemærkefonden (The Christmas Seal Foundation) which helps Danish children in crisis through its four retreat homes. It was accepted on behalf of Julemærkefonden by its director Joan Vestergaard. Crown Princess Mary is patron of the organisation. It was awarded 250.000 Danish kroner.

Last year Crown Princess Mary was unable to attend the prize giving because she was ordered by her doctors to rest some weeks before giving birth. So, Mary missed out last year but this year will see Danish rock poet Peter Sommer perform and of course, P.J. Harvey, which is a great coup because she is only doing three concerts this year. Although the Crown Prince Couple decide who the recipients of the two prizes are, they have help from a group which advises them.



Kronprinsparrets Kulturpris
Bikubenfonden.dk (runs the prize)
The Royal Opera Stages
Operaen - the new opera house (the venue)



This last group of photos by Jens Panduro of POLFOTO

Crown Prince Frederik's speech (in Danish)
Crown Princess Mary's speech (in Danish)

TV Avisen clip (0:28)

From The Copenhagen Post:
Eliasson gets royal award

25.09.2006

The 2nd annual Royal Couple's Cultural Award Ceremony was presided over by the crown prince and princess themselves

Artist and sculptor Olafur Eliasson took home DKK 500,000 and the accompanying sculpture Sunday evening in Copenhagen at the second annual Royal Couple's Cultural Awards ceremony, the prize handed over by the award's namesakes, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary.
Eliasson won based on his 'unique ability to forever search deeper and deeper into the human senses' inexhaustible universe,' said the Crown Prince.
Eliasson is known for his work with ambiences of light and shadow, and he was the artist behind the three large chandeliers which hang in the foyer of the Opera House, where the ceremony took place. The award itself, a glass sculpture, was also created by Eliasson with glazier Per Sten Hebsgaard.
The secondary award of DKK 250,000 to the most outstanding charity was given to the Danish Christmas Seal Foundation, proprietors of the Christmas Seal Houses for troubled children.
'With this donation we lend a hand to the Christmas Seal Houses, that the results of their efforts last a long time and, more importantly, leave a positive mark on children for the rest of their lives,' said Crown Princess Mary.
The Royal Couple's Cultural Award is the Beehive Foundation's wedding gift to the royal couple. The winners are chosen by the couple themselves, after consultation with a forum consisting of notables in the cultural circle.~