President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska took part in the 2025 Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine award ceremony.
The Head of State congratulated the laureates and emphasized that the voices of Ukrainian artists convey the truth about the war to the world, support people within the country, and will, in the future, tell of a new era of a peaceful, strong, and secure Ukraine.
"I sincerely thank every artist who has become part of our shared cause – the fight for Ukraine’s future. I am grateful to the many cultural figures who have directly joined the security and defense forces. I thank the artists who regularly visit our warriors on the frontline, organize charity events in Ukraine and abroad, raise funds, and help meet the needs of various military units. And I deeply appreciate all those artists who dedicate their lives to creating for the sake of others," said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This year, the Taras Shevchenko National Prize in the 'Literature' category was awarded to poet Yuriy Izdryk for his book Collection.
Film director Oleksandr Sanin, cinematographer Serhiy Mykhalchuk, and composer Alla Zahaikevych received the award in the 'Cinematic Arts' category for the feature film Dovbush.
In the 'Visual Arts' category, the award was granted to artist Zhanna Kadyrova for her solo exhibition Flying Trajectories.
In the 'Decorative and Applied Arts' category, the award was granted to Petrykivka painting masters Valentyna Karpets’-Yermolayeva, Andriy Pikush, Mariya Pikush, and Nataliya Rybak for their artistic project Petrykivka Painting: Defending Identity.
The award in the 'Musical Arts' category was granted to composer and performer Bohdana Pivnenko for creating concert programs from 2019 to 2024.
Additionally, in the 'Musical Arts' category, the award was granted to composer Oleksandr Shymko for his sacred mystery Vyriy.
The award in the 'Commentary and Journalism' category was granted to journalist Pavlo Kazarin for his project Wartime Commentary in the online media outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
In the 'Theatrical Arts' category, the award was granted to stage director Vasyl Vovkun, the librettist of the opera Fox Mykyta, the ballet Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, the modern ballet Discover Yourself, and the theatrical cantata Psalms of War at the Lviv National Opera.
