Baltic Awards 2026 announces its laureates

Baltic Awards 2026 announces its laureates - a prestigious international award honouring outstanding achievements across the Baltic States in science, culture and architecture

On 13 May, the Art Museum Rīgas Birža hosted the official ceremony of the prestigious international award Baltic Awards 2026. The event gathered outstanding representatives of science, culture, the arts, and public life from across the Baltic States. Continuing to strengthen its position as one of the region’s leading intellectual and cultural platforms, the project united influential figures whose achievements shape today’s European cultural and intellectual landscape and stand as symbols of professional excellence and creative leadership.

Established to highlight the role of the Baltic States within the contemporary European and global context, the award annually honours distinguished representatives of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia for their contribution to the development of science, arts, music and architecture. In 2026, awards were presented to representatives of Estonia for achievements in science, Lithuania for contributions to the arts and music, and Latvia for achievements in architecture.

During the ceremony, additional distinctions were also presented, including the Grand Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Industry Development, the Grand Prize for Lifetime Achievement to Society, and the special award “Baltic Awards The Opera Rising Star” presented by the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet.

Candidates were nominated by leading national scientific and cultural institutions of the Baltic States. In Estonia - the Estonian Academy of Sciences; in Latvia - the Latvian Association of Architects; and in Lithuania - the Lithuanian neighbouring rights association AGATA, the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet, and the Vilnius Academy of Arts.

The winners were selected by the Baltic Awards Selection Committee, composed of distinguished public, scientific, and cultural figures from the Baltic States and Europe, including former President of Latvia Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, former President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers, former President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of the Latvian Academy of Sciences Ivars Kalviņš, former Prime Minister of Estonia Taavi Rõivas, composer Pēteris Vasks,  Managing Partner of Rödl & Partner in the Baltic States and Northern Europe Jens-Christian Pastille, Chairman of the Board of Radio SWH Jānis Šipkēvics, former economic advisor to President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga Sol Norman Bukingolts, former President of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences Jūras Banys, diplomat and entrepreneur Emmanuil Grinshpun, and film director, screenwriter and producer, Academy Award (Oscar), Golden Globe and Baltic Awards Grand Prix laureate Matīss Kaža. The committee is chaired by world-renowned soprano Inese Galante.

Laureates of Baltic Awards 2026

The Baltic Awards for Significant Contribution to Science was awarded to Professor Maris Laan, Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Tartu. The award was presented by former President of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Professor Jūras Banys.

Other nominees presented by the Estonian Academy of Sciences:
/ Professor Ülo Niinemets, Professor of Environmental and Agricultural Plant Biology
/ Professor Anne Kahru, Research Professor at the National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics (NICPB).

The Baltic Awards for Significant Contribution to Architecture was awarded to architectural bureau LAUDER ARCHITECTS - Rita Laudere and Kārlis Lauders. The award was presented by President of the Latvian Association of Architects Artūrs Lapiņš.

Other nominees presented by the Latvian Association of Architects:
/ MADE ARCHITECTS - architects Miķelis Putrāms and Linda Krūmiņa
/ ĒTER - architects Kārlis Bērziņš, Dagnija Smilga, and Niklāvs Paegle.

The Baltic Awards for Significant Contribution to the Arts was awarded to artist duo brothers Algirdas and Remigijus Gataveckai. The award was presented by Marius Iršėnas, Vice-Rector for Arts and Research at the Vilnius Academy of Arts.

Other nominees presented by the Vilnius Academy of Arts:
/ artist Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė
/ artist Julijonas Urbonas.

The Baltic Awards for Significant Contribution to Music was awarded to soprano Asmik Grigorian. The award was presented by Liena Edvardsa, CEO of LaIPA, and Audronė Markevičienė, Ambassador of Lithuania to Latvia.

Other nominees presented by the Lithuanian neighbouring rights association AGATA:
/ tenor Edgaras Montvidas
/ conductor Modestas Pitrėnas.

The special award Baltic Awards The Opera Rising Star was presented to ballet artist Edvinas Jakonis. The award was presented by Martynas Stakionis, Artistic Director of the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, together with Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks.

Other nominees presented by the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre:
/ soprano Gabrielė Bukinė
/ composer Žibuoklė Martinaitytė.

The special distinction “Baltic Awards Lifetime Achievement Award”  for outstanding contribution to industry development was awarded to Professor Anne Kahru. The award was presented by Professor Baiba Rivža, Secretary General of the Latvian Academy of Sciences.

A particularly significant moment of the ceremony was the presentation of the special distinction GRAND PRIZE for Lifetime Achievement Award to Baltic Society to the presidents whose leadership enabled Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia to join the European Union, fundamentally changing the historical trajectory of the Baltic States - Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, Valdas Adamkus, and Toomas Hendrik Ilves. The awards were presented by Oscar and Golden Globe award-winning director, screenwriter and producer Matīss Kaža, former Prime Minister of Estonia Taavi Rõivas, and soprano Gabrielė Bukinė.

“Baltijas Balva / Baltic Awards is not only a recognition of professional excellence, but also an opportunity to honour individuals whose decisions, leadership, and values have profoundly shaped the development of the Baltic States and their place in modern Europe. It is a great honour for us to recognise Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, Valdas Adamkus, and Toomas Hendrik Ilves — leaders whose contribution enabled a new generation across the Baltic States to develop freely, embrace a European outlook, build international careers, and confidently make their mark on the world. Their legacy continues to inspire new generations today,” noted Inese Galante.

As part of the ceremony, the traditional draw determining the distribution of the 2027 award categories among the Baltic States also took place:
— Lithuania — contribution to science;
— Latvia — contribution to architecture;
— Estonia — contribution to arts and music.

The musical atmosphere of the ceremony was created by musicians of the group Dagamba - Valters Pūce and Dainis Tenis - as well as young performers and winners of the “Inese Galante Talents” competition: violinist Sofija Poliščuka and pianist Gustavs Kalējs.

Among the guests attending the ceremony were ambassadors and representatives of the embassies of the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Israel, China, Lithuania, Estonia, Italy, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The event also welcomed prominent representatives of the cultural, business, and public sectors.

As part of the Baltijas Balva / Baltic Awards project, a series of large-scale international cultural events will take place in Jūrmala during the summer of 2026. On 21 August, the Dzintari Concert Hall will host the Latvian premiere of Teatro Delusio, the cult production by the world-renowned German theatre company Familie Flöz. On 22 August, Dzintari Concert Hall will present the gala concert “GALA GALANTE. Viva La Musica!”, dedicated to the award laureates and featuring internationally acclaimed Latvian and international artists.

 

Additional information:
www.balticawards.com
https://www.facebook.com/baltijasbalva
https://www.instagram.com/baltic.awards/

Project partners: Jūrmala Municipality, Rödl & Partner, SIA Tilts, Porsche, Riga Airport (RIX), Latvian National Museum of Art (LNMM), Embassy of Estonia in Latvia, Embassy of Lithuania in Latvia, Embassy of Italy in Latvia, LeverX, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), Riga Investment and Tourism Agency, Radisson Hotel, piano.lv, SIA Snowflake.