The Ministry of Culture has opened the call for the Velázquez Award for Plastic Arts and the National Television and Fashion Design Awards for 2026, as published in the BOE. The Velázquez Award, endowed with 100,000 euros, recognizes the career of creators from Spain and Ibero-America. Nominations can be submitted by academies, museums, and sector associations, broadening the range of potential winners.
The digital process behind candidate selection 🖥️
Nominating institutions must submit candidates electronically through the Ministry's digital headquarters, a system that streamlines document management. Each proposal includes a dossier on the candidate's career and a report from the proposing entity. The jury, composed of figures from the cultural sphere, will evaluate merits through telematic meetings. This digital workflow reduces processing times and avoids traditional postal mail issues, although the final decision remains human.
How the jury won't go crazy evaluating 100 candidates 🤪
The jury of the Velázquez Award will have to choose between dozens of artists with impeccable careers. To avoid endless discussions, the Ministry suggests using the wheel of fortune method or, failing that, a ballot draw. Some critics propose that the winner should be the one with the longest resume, although that would leave out minimalist artists. In the end, the award will go to someone who already has a museum named after them.