The Princess of Asturias Foundation is a non-profit private institution whose essential aims are to contribute to extolling and promoting those scientific, cultural and humanistic values that form part of the universal heritage of humanity and to consolidate the existing links between the Principality of Asturias and the title traditionally held by the heirs to the Crown of Spain.

From the Foundation’s creation in 1980, King Felipe VI served as Honorary President until his proclamation as King of Spain on 19th June 2014. Following this date, HRH Leonor de Borbón y Ortiz, Princess of Asturias, became Honorary President of this institution which annually convenes the Princess of Asturias Awards.

Aimed at rewarding the scientific, technical, cultural, social and humanitarian work carried out at an international level by individuals, institutions or groups of individuals or institutions, these awards are granted in eight categories: the Arts, Literature, Social Sciences, Communication and Humanities, Technical and Scientific Research, International Cooperation, Sports and Concord.

The Awards are presented at a solemn ceremony held each year at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo.

The Princess of Asturias Foundation issues a public call for nominations for the 2019 Princess of Asturias Awards, which shall be governed by the following regulations approved by its Board of Trustees.

The Princess of Asturias Foundation convenes the Princess of Asturias Awards.

The Princess of Asturias Awards are to be conferred on those individuals and/or institutions that, through their work and merits in scientific, technical, cultural, social and humanitarian fields, contribute to progress and social well-being in an extraordinary and exemplary way. The repercussions of this work should always be considered in the broadest sense; that is, its contribution to the field should be of international scope and/or be acknowledged at an international level.

• Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts: aimed at recognizing the work of fostering and advancing the art of film-making, theatre, dance, music, photography, painting, sculpture, architecture or any other form of artistic expression.
• Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences: aimed at recognizing creative and/or research work in the field of history, law, linguistics, teaching, political science, psychology, sociology, ethics, philosophy, geography, economics, demography or anthropology, as well as in the disciplines corresponding to each of these fields.
• Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities: aimed at recognizing the work of fostering and advancing the sciences and disciplines considered humanistic activities or any activity related to social communication in any of its forms.
• Princess of Asturias Award for Concord: aimed at recognizing the work of defending and advancing human rights, as well as promoting and protecting peace, freedom, solidarity, world heritage and, in general, the progress of humanity.
• Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation: aimed at recognizing individual or collective work, in cooperation with another or others, to develop and promote public health, universal education, the protection and defence of the environment, as well as the economic, cultural and social advancement of peoples.
• Princess of Asturias Award for Sports: aimed at careers which, via the promotion, fostering and advancement of sport and sense of solidarity and commitment, have become an example of the benefits that practising sports can bring to people.
• Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research: aimed at recognizing the work of fostering and advancing research in the field of mathematics, astronomy and astrophysics, physics, chemistry, life sciences, medical sciences, earth and space sciences or technological sciences, including those disciplines corresponding to each of these fields as well as their related technologies.
• Princess of Asturias Award for Literature: aimed at recognizing the work of fostering and advancing literary creation in all its genres.

Each Princess of Asturias Award is endowed with:

• a Joan Miró sculpture (symbolizing the Princess of Asturias Awards);
• a diploma of accreditation;
• an insignia;
• €50,000. This amount is to be divided equally among the Laureates when the award is shared.

Submission of nominations

Nominations may be submitted by:

• Laureates from previous years;
• members of the eight Juries, provided they do not submit nominations for the award in the category corresponding to the jury of which they are a member;
• Spanish embassies;
• diplomatic representations in Spain;
• public figures and institutions of renown;
• other public figures and institutions invited to do so by the Princess of Asturias Foundation.

The following candidatures shall not be accepted in any case whatsoever:

• posthumous nominations;
• heads of state and/or heads of Spanish or foreign governments;
• members of higher state institutions and/or those holding high office in Spanish or foreign governments;
• state institutions or public authorities regulated by the Spanish Constitution or Spanish legislation;
• Trustees of the Princess of Asturias Foundation at the time of the nomination or those who have been Trustees within the three years immediately prior to the nomination;
• Jury members or those who have been a member of any Princess of Asturias Award Jury within three years immediately prior to the nomination;
• individuals, organizations or institutions who apply for the award on their own behalf.

The Princess of Asturias Foundation is responsible for determining compliance with these requirements, as well as the suitability of the candidatures. The assessment made by the Foundation will determine the final selection presented to the Jury.

Deadlines and procedure for submitting nominations

• On completing the official form, nominations may be submitted to:
  • the following e-mail address: fpa@fpa.es
  • the following postal address: c/Juan Benito Argüelles, 2, 33004 - Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
• The nomination form may also be filled out on the Princess of Asturias website: www.fpa.es
• The deadline for submitting nominations is Thursday, 14th March 2019 (up until 11:59pm Spanish time, GMT+1).
• Should laureates from previous years and/or jury members submit nominations, they may do so up until 6 calendar days before the date of convening the jury corresponding to the category for which such nominations are submitted.
• The official nomination form may be accompanied by as many documents, references and audio-visual materials as desired with the aim of accrediting the merits of the proposed candidature.
• Expressions of support and endorsements considered appropriate may likewise be submitted. The deadline for submitting such support is 15 calendar days from the deadline for submitting nominations. Said expressions of support may be sent to.
  • the following e-mail address: apoyos@fpa.es
  • the following postal address: c/ Juan Benito Argüelles, 2, 33004 - Oviedo, Principado de Asturias, Spain.
• The Princess of Asturias Foundation does not enter into any form of correspondence whatsoever regarding the nominations it receives, nor does it return them.

The Princess of Asturias Awards Ceremony is to be held in Oviedo (Principality of Asturias, Spain) in the second fortnight of October.

Upon accepting the award, laureates will undertake to participate in the activities and events organized by the Foundation in the days immediately prior to and following the Awards Ceremony.

Laureates who do not attend the Awards Ceremony will only receive the diploma of accreditation.

Appointment and Constitution

The juries, one for each category, are appointed annually by the Princess of Asturias Foundation in accordance with the criteria approved by its Board of Trustees. The members of the juries may not hold office in the Spanish government or be members of any of the higher institutions of any State.

Each jury shall have a chairperson and an acting secretary. The chairperson will be chosen from among the members of the jury once it convenes. The acting secretary, who has both voice and vote, shall be appointed by the Princess of Asturias Foundation.

The chair will organize and channel the jury’s deliberations and voting. The acting secretary will ensure compliance with the regulations.

The jury will hold its meetings over two consecutive days. The decision conferring the award shall be announced via the public reading of the Minutes of the Jury on the second day set for these meetings, This will normally be done by the chairperson.

Deliberations

To participate in the voting, jury members must be present at all deliberative meetings, from the time deliberations commence through to the final vote.

The list of nominations submitted to any of the Princess of Asturias Awards and the deliberations of the jury members are secret.

Jury members shall proceed freely, fairly and rigorously at all times.

The act of voting cannot be delegated.

Submitted nominations cannot be modified in any way whatsoever.

Voting shall always be in favour of one nomination or another and should foster the successive and ongoing election of candidatures preferred by the majority of the jury.

The award is to be bestowed by majority vote on one single candidature. The chairperson will have the casting vote in the case of a tie.