Jury of the Kazimierz Kutz Award selected five nominees for this year’s edition of the competition. Who has the chance to receive this special distinction this year?
Daria ze Śląska
Daria ze Śląska (Daria from Silesia) is a vocalist, songwriter, composer and producer. After her debut album ‘Daria ze Śląska tu była’ (Daria from Silesia was here), released in April 2023 by Jazzboy Records, she was hailed as the artistic discovery of the year. She combines sound diversity with intimate lyrics full of pop culture references. She was nominated for Empik Discoveries 2022. She is the winner of the Grzegorz Ciechowski Artistic Award of the City of Toruń. She comes from Katowice.
Krzysztof Głuchowski
Krzysztof Głuchowski is an actor, director, and theatre, film and television producer. Since September 2016, he has been the general and artistic director of the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre in Kraków. During his management, the famous “Dziady” (Forefathers’ Eve) directed by Maja Kleczewska, or the award-winning musical spectacle “1989” were staged. He is the winner of the Zygmunt Hübner Man of Theatre Award 2023.
Agnieszka Holland
Agnieszka Holland, as a director and screenwriter, makes Polish cinema famous all over the world; as an insightful observer and sensitive artist, she addresses the most important topics that ignite public debate. She boldly and unequivocally defends fundamental values such as democracy, freedom of speech and human rights. She is a winner of many prestigious international awards and distinctions. In 2012, her film “In Darkness” was nominated for an Oscar in the category the best foreign language film. Her film “The Green Frontier” from 2023 is undoubtedly one of the most important films in recent years.
Aleksander Nowak
Aleksander Nowak is a composer, author of operas and dramas that are adaptations of texts by contemporary writers. Head of the Department of Composition and Music Theory at the Academy of Music in Katowice. He is a winner of many awards, including the “Gwarancje Kultury” Award (2011), the “Polityka Passport” Award (2018), the Onet O!lśnienia Award (2020), the Koryfeusz Muzyki Polskiej Award (2020, 2021) and the Polish Composers’ Union Award (2021).
Joanna Szczepkowska
Joanna Szczepkowska is a theatre and film actress, as well as a writer and columnist. She has been active on and off stage for half a century – her involvement in social activities has been her hallmark for many years. She acted on the most important stages in Warsaw, including: the Dramatic Theatre, Contemporary Theatre, and Polish Theatre. She is the creator of “Teatr na Dole” and “Teatr Pudło” established during the pandemic. She is the winner of many awards, including the Konstanty Puzyna Award, which she received, among others, “for the endings and beginnings that she announced or caused”.
About the Award
The Kazimierz Kutz Award is financial: the winner receives PLN 50,000 and a statuette designed by Erwin Sówka. According to the regulations, the Jury also has the option of awarding an additional distinction – the honorary title of “Ambassador of Silesia”. The Organisers of the Kazimierz Kutz Award are the City of Katowice, the University of Silesia in Katowice and the Stanisław Wyspiański Silesian Theatre. The founder of the award is the City of Katowice.
The Jury includes, among others, people associated with the University of Silesia: Rector, Prof. Ryszard Koziołek; Dean of the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School, Prof. Krystyna Doktorowicz; and Prof. Andrzej Gwóźdź.
On 16 February 2024, on Kazimierz Kutz’s birthday, we will find out who will be honoured with the award.
Detailed information on the competition and previous winners can be found on the official website of the Kazimierz Kutz Award.
Kazimierz Kutz Award with a certificate of authenticity