Recognitions

• Ülo Pikkov’s short film “Õmblusmasin” (Sewing Machine) won the Neitsi Maali Award.
• Ülo Pikkov’s short film “Õmblusmasin” (Sewing Machine) won the Golden Anteater award at the Lublin Film Festival.
• Ülo Pikkov’s short film “Sewing Machine” won the Best Short Film Award at the 2024 Estonian Film and Television Awards (EFTA).
• Viesturs Kairišs’ short film “Cohabitants” was selected for the competition programme at IDFA 2024.
• Three short films produced as part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 – “Sewing Machine”, “Hilda Ha. Off the Grid”, and “The House” – were included in the competition programme of the prestigious FIPADOC International Documentary Festival.
• “The House” was selected for the competition programme of the Göteborg Film Festival.

• Winner of the Estonian Landscape Architects Union Annual Award – “Act of the Year” category.

• The Newcomer of the Year award of the Tartu Kultuurikandja was given to the KAUGE Festival, which brought a new high-quality electronic music event to Tartu and was part of the Tartu 2024 main programme.

Eesti Kultuurkapital Performing Arts Endowment 2024 Awards:

• Best Actor in a Leading Role: Tõnis Niinemets – Artur in the production “Business as Usual” (Eesti Draamateater).
• Best Supporting Actor Award: Taavi Teplenkov – among others, for his role in “Business as Usual”.
• Award for Original Dramaturgy: Mehis Pihla – play “Business as Usual”.
• Award for Original Music in a Production: Maria Faust – music for “Business as Usual”.
• Viive Ernesaks Award for Musical and/or Sound Design: Lauri Kaldoja – musical and sound design for the productions “Business as Usual”, “Aja oma atra läbi koolnute kontide”, “Erakõnelused”, “Kollane tapeet”, and “Solaris”.

• Winner of the Light Middle East Awards in the “Project of the Year – International” category.
• Mariann Raisma received the annual award of folk culture in the field of museums for her outstanding work in the development of museology and the Estonian museum field. As part of the Tartu 2024 programme, Raisma lead the Tartu 2024 candidacy book project “Toomemägi Revisited”.

• Letter of Appreciation from Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets: “For outstanding civic engagement – Citizen’s Day Medal of Honour.”
• Sandra Liiv was selected as Cultural Manager of the Year at the Tartu Kultuurikandja awards for bringing joy to people and supporting mental well-being through cultural management. As part of the Tartu 2024 programme, Liiv led the bid book project “Stand Up for Your Mind”.

• The exhibition “The Secrets of the Leaning Building” at the Tartu Art Museum was awarded Exhibition of the Year and won the Grand Museum Rat at the Estonian Museum Annual Awards.
• Hanna-Liis Kont received the annual prize in the visual and applied arts category. The main event of the Tartu Art Museum project “Creative Connection” was the spectacular exhibition “The Secret of the Leaning Building” curated by Kont for children. It was also Tartu 2024 candidacy book project.

• Nominee for the Estonian Museum Annual Award in the category “Marketing Act of the Year” – The Estonian Road Museum, Tartu City Museum, and Estonian Agricultural Museum for the marketing and communication of the collaborative exhibition “Washing Machine Made of Beetroot”.
• The lifetime achievement award in the field of folk culture for preservation of cultural heritage and development of the museum landscape went to Merike Lang, who headed the Estonian Rural Museums Foundation and was thus associated with the joint exhibition of the three museums “Washing Machine Made out of Beetroot” that took place within Tartu 2024 programme.

• Sound Art Endowment Annual Awards 2024: Composer Mihkel Kerem – for an outstanding creative year, marked by the release of a composer’s album and the premieres of a piano concerto and a horn concerto.

• At Hungary’s largest animation festival, Anilogue, the Grand Prix was awarded to Martinus Klemet’s Yummy. Ardo Ran Varres composed the music for Yummy as part of the Kullaaugu Creative Residency.

• Nominee for Viljandi City’s 2024 Cultural Award: Ave Matsin and the project managers of the Viljandi Culture Academy’s Heritage Festival. Viljandi Heritage Festival, which took place at the initiative of Ave Matsin and was part of the main programme of Tartu 2024, becoming the highlight event of the autumn for the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy, the City of Viljandi, and Tartu 2024. In addition to Estonian heritage highlights, Ave succeeded in bringing heritage representatives from Nigeria, Namibia, Thailand, Scotland, England, and beyond to the festival.
• The main prize in the field of folk culture was awarded to Ave Matsin, Evelin Lagle-Nõmm and Lembe Lahtmaa for organising the Heritage Festival in Viljandi. The festival cemented Viljandi’s image as a UNESCO heritage city and strengthened cooperation with the network of creative cities.

• Nominee for Viljandi City’s 2024 Theatre Award: Silvia Soro, Herta Soro, and Marta Soro – Three women from the same family created and performed the production “Perfection”, based on their personal stories. The play addresses eating disorders and explores the impact of beliefs passed down through generations and the constant pursuit of perfection on people’s lives, health, and mindsets.

• Estonian Folk Dance and Folk Music Society “Loku Laua” Award Winner: Organizer of the Year: Night Folk Dance Festival team: Project Manager Kristi Vals and Artistic Director and Idea Author Maire Udras.
• Estonian Rural Community Centres Association, Kaheksakand 2024 Nominee – Act of the Year.
• Võru County’s cultural, library, and museum workers, craft masters, and cultural collective leaders’ gratitude evening: Estonian Folk Culture Centre Certificates of Appreciation:
  • Maire Udras – for her heartfelt work and the successful execution of the grand folk evening “Night Folk Dance Festival”.
  • Kristi Vals – for her passionate contributions to enriching Võru County’s cultural life, leading the opening event of the Culture Richness Year in Võru County, serving as a member of the organizing committee for the Estonian Local Government Day, as a member of the regional expert commission for European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, and as the project manager of Night Folk Dance Festival.

• Civil Society Activist – Ingrid Matteus, Tartumaa Local Government Union, Kodukant Tartumaa.

• At the Ministry of Culture’s Cultural Friend 2024 Gala, the title of “Cultural Organizer of the Year” was awarded to Maajaam team leaders Mari-Liis Rebast and Timo Toots, whose exhibition “Wild Bits” was part of the Tartu 2024 main programme.
• Mari-Liis Rebane and Timo Toots received the main prize in the field of visual and applied arts at the Cultural Endownment annual awards. The artistic project “Wild Bits” in the technology and art farm Maajaam was one of the projects in the Tartu 2024 candidacy book, which won the title of European Capital of Culture.

• Nominee for Viljandi City’s 2024 Cultural Award: Visual Arts Festival Viljandi Tuled – a festival with an excellent international programme, which was part of the Tartu 2024 cultural programme.

• The annual prize of the visual and applied arts at the Cultural Endownment annual awards was awarded to Mari Vallikivi for managing Kondas Centre. As a result of her work, the exhibition “Hidden Worlds Expanding” was born, it was also Tartu 2024 candidacy book project.

• Simple Session x Visit Estonia „Barge Ramp Jam” won the Golden Egg award in the promotion category at the biggest creative awards Kuldmuna.

• Bronze award in the print design category at the Estonia’s largest creative festival, Kuldmuna.

• A Bronze Award at Estonia’s largest creative festival, Kuldmuna, in the Mastery: Typography category.
• The Cultural Event of the Year award at the Tartu Kultuurikandja was given to the exhibition “Enter Woodland Spirits”, presented to the Estonian Literary Museum and the University of Tartu Natural History Museum, for offering exceptional and high-quality cultural experiences. The event was part of the Tartu 2024 main programme.

• Two Creator of the Year titles of the Tartu Kultuurikandja were given to Küllike Joosing and Kristel Maruste, artistic directors of the Tartu 2024 Song and Dance Celebration, for creating an emotionally powerful and outstanding experience.
• The folk culture choral music annual prize at the Cultural Endownment annual awards went to Küllike Joosing, who was the chief conductor of Uma Pido and the artistic director of the Tartu 2024 song festival. Both events were part of Tartu 2024 side programme.
• A Bronze Award at Estonia’s largest creative festival, Kuldmuna 2024, in the Seasonal Branding category. Creator: AKU.
• A nomination at Estonia’s largest creative festival, Kuldmuna 2025, in the Public Event category.

• Nomination at Estonia’s largest creative festival, Kuldmuna 2025, in the Seasonal Branding category. Creator: AKU.