The Council of Ministers, chaired by Pedro Sánchez, has approved this Monday the awarding of the Grand Cross of Isabel la Católica posthumously to the actress Marisa Paredes. This was announced by the president at the press conference afterwards, where he highlighted Paredes’ exceptional career and her contribution to Spanish art and culture. “We have approved the posthumous award of the Gran Cruz de Isabel la Católica to the exceptional, to the extraordinary actress Marisa Paredes,” said Sánchez, underlining the importance of this recognition in memory of the actress.
Recognition of Spanish art and culture
During the same press conference, the president also highlighted the awarding of 37 Gold Medals of Merit in Fine Arts 2024 to figures such as Carmen Machi, Robe Iniesta and Elvira Lindo, who, according to Sánchez, “make Spain and the lives of Spaniards great”.
Marisa Paredes: an indelible artistic legacy
The actress Marisa Paredes, recognized for her outstanding career in film, theater and television, left an indelible mark on Spanish culture. With this award, the Government pays tribute to her career and her impact on the national and international artistic scene. The Council of Ministers, at the proposal of the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, has awarded this Monday the Gold Medals of Merit in Fine Arts 2024 to personalities and institutions that have stood out for their contribution to the world of art, culture and artistic heritage.
The award winners
In the field of music, also recognized were the singer and composer Robe Iniesta; the musical group Los Planetas; the singer and composer Kase or the opera singer Carlos Chausson Gracia; and the musical representative José Emilio Navarro Viña ‘Berry’. In cinema and theater, were distinguished the actresses Maribel Verdú, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón and Carmen Machi; the actor Eduard Fernández; the actor and theater director Josep María Pou; the film director and producer Chelo Loureiro Vilarelle; film director, screenwriter and producer Pere Portabella; visual effects supervisor Laura Pedro Albiol; playwright, stage director, dancer, actress and visual poet Ana Vallés; and director, playwright and cultural manager Luis Guillermo Heras Toledo, posthumously. Also recognized in the field of the performing arts were the dancer and choreographer Mónica Rodríguez Runde; and the Rogelio Rivel Circus Arts Center. The Gold Medals of Merit in the Fine Arts this year recognize various literary personalities, such as the poet and writer Bernardo Atxaga; the writer and journalist Elvira Lindo; the poets and writers Antònia Vicens, Eva Baltasar and Angelina Muñiz-Huberman; the Manga Barcelona show; and the children’s magazine ‘Camacuc’. In addition, the fine arts and cultural heritage have recognized the interdisciplinary artist Sandra Gamarra; the photographer and artist Cristina de Middel; the architect and cultural heritage expert Ángel Luis de Sousa Seibane; the artistic collective Cabello/Carceller; Segundo Castro Olmo, member of the Colectivo Estampa Popular. Also receiving the award are comedian and presenter Eva Hache; fashion designer Juana Martín; cultural manager Encarna Lago González; cultural rights experts Alfons Martinell Sempere and Jesús Prieto de Pedro; the Llámalo H Collective; and the Voices for Consciousness and Development Foundation.
A recognition of artistic and cultural merit
The Gold Medals of Merit in the Fine Arts honor figures and institutions that have contributed significantly to the development, dissemination and conservation of the arts and cultural heritage. This award symbolizes excellence and impact in artistic creation.
