The Honthy Award was presented in seven categories on Monday evening at the Budapest Operettszínház. The award, created jointly by the theater and art dealer and art historian Eleni Korani, went to Attila Dolhai, Annamária Dancs, Attila Erdős, Flóra Széles, Krisztina Berzsenyi and Ákos Bodor. This year, a posthumous Honthy Award was also awarded to the actor, operetta and opera singer Zsolt Vadász, who died in June.

Starting from the 2017-2018 season, the Honthy Prize awarding committee will award the awards to the artists and staff of the Budapest Operetta Theater after the end of each theater season in recognition of their outstanding work during the season.

Magdolna Závogyán, the state secretary responsible for culture at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, was present at the award ceremony. The acknowledgments were given by Kiss-B. It was handed over by Eleni Korani and Zoltán Molnár on behalf of Atilla, the general director of the Budapest Operetta Theater and the Honthy Prize Committee.

In the 2023-2024 season, Attila Dolhai won the male lead of the year for the knife-throwing role of García in the performance Carmen. The prize for the female protagonist went to Annamária Dancs for her portrayal of the title character in the performance of Carmen. Attila Erdős was chosen as the best male character actor for his portrayal of the tycoon Zdénkó Lazarovits in the performance The Magician of the Orfeum, while the female character actor was Flóra Széles, who played Katarina, the mayor's daughter, in Carmen.

The committee awarded the creator of the season award to Krisztina Berzsenyi for designing the costumes of The Magician of the Orfeum, while the Backstage award went to lighting designer and deputy chief lighting designer Ákos Bodor.

This year, a posthumous Honthy Award was also awarded to the actor, operetta and opera singer Zsolt Vadász, who died in June, and who has since been elected a permanent member of the Budapest Operettszínház. Kiss-B received the award from his widow, Anita Lukács. From Atilla.

At the event, the general director announced that the former warehouse theater will be renamed Zsuzsa Lehoczky Small Stage in honor of the Kossuth Prize-winning Hungarian actress.

The Honthy Prize is a recognition initiated by the art historian Eleni Korani, owner of the Ernst Galéria, in cooperation with the Budapest Operetta Theatre, as well as the private and corporate spheres. The founders and those awarding the prize consider it important to encourage the continuation of Hungarian national operetta traditions worthy of the intellectual heritage of Honthy Hanna, to represent the dignity of the national song theater, and to present the artistic work in the theater as widely as possible to both the domestic and international public.

The prize is a unique small sculpture that models a woman's head. The sculpture was designed by Ernst Wastl, co-owner of the eponymous Ernst Galéria in Budapest.

MTI

Cover image: The Honthy award ceremony at the Budapest Operettszínház Source: Budapest Operettszínház Facebook page/Erika Janus