Normunda Naumaņa Annual Art Criticism Award 2024

At the event "NN Night" held on January 8th of this year at the New Riga Theater, poet and literary critic Ivars Šteinbergs received the Normunds Naumanis Annual Art Criticism Award, while the promotion award for young critics was given to photo art critic Daniela Zālīte.

The jury for the Art Criticism Award nominated Kristīne Briede, Gundega Evelone, Jana Kukaine, Ivars Šteinbergs, and Guna Zeltiņa, highly appreciating their contribution to the evaluation of cultural events during the past year.

In the jury's justification for awarding the main prize, it is stated: "Ivars Šteinbergs combines the author's skills in both academic and creative writing in his reviews. Referring to facts and texts from literature and cultural history, stylizing and sometimes even provoking, he becomes an exciting conversationalist for both the writers whose works he evaluates and the readers. Although his reviews are stylistically enchanting and witty, they are based on serious knowledge and interest in contemporary cultural processes, as well as a sharp sense of his era." The jury particularly highlighted Ivars Šteinbergs' literary criticism published in the online journals "Satori" and "Punctum".

The Normunds Naumanis Annual Art Criticism Award, named after Normunds Naumanis, was established in 2015 by the Normunds Naumanis Association. The decision on this year's nominees was made by a jury established by the association: its chairman philosopher and writer Ilmārs Šlāpins, Dita Rietuma, Laima Slava, Edīte Tišheizere, Baiba Kurpniece, Anda Baklāne, Kārlis Vērdiņš, and Sarmīte Ēlerte.