Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary presented awards for their eponymous foundation over the weekend, celebrating Danish arts, culture and social enterprises.
The Danish Crown Prince Couple, who completed a trip to Vietnam days before the prize ceremony at the Ringsted Congress Centre in Ringsted, hold the ceremony every year as an extension of their wedding celebrations to honour people and organisations contributing to Danish society.
Four awards are presented annually: the Social Prize, the Culture Prize, and two Star Sprinkle Awards.
This year, GAME won the Social Prize for encouraging social work based on the elements of street sports. Crown Prince Frederik said in a statement: “With their GAME Streetmeccas and the training of GAME Playmakers, they have created a cool and attractive focal point for positive and strong communities that reach children and young people who otherwise fall outside the established associational life.”
The Culture Prize was presented to Tue Biering, an experimental theatre director who constantly challenges boundaries and barriers. Crown Princess Mary said: “Tue Biering’s art testifies to a tireless urge to ask difficult and important questions of the society we live in. He shows us how art and culture can contribute to our understanding of the preconceived notions we have, and he insists on exposing us to them so that we can practice meeting each other more open-mindedly.”
The Star Sprinkle Awards are awarded to bold artists and innovative social workers yearly. This year’s winners include Josefine Opsahl and the organisation Social Sundhed. Opsahl, a cellist and composer, was honoured for her attempts to reimagine and redefine classical music, while Social Sundhed was honoured for working to enhance their programs and encourage people to look after their health.
The Crown Prince Couple’s Awards rotate venues each year, hosted at a cultural site important to the area in Denmark. In 2013, the couple presented their awards in Sydney, Australia, to honour Crown Princess Mary’s home country.
The Crown Prince Couple’s Awards are presented on Danish television.
