Patti Smith 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts

Statement by Graciela Iturbide after the awarding of the Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts 2025

“On receiving the news of being awarded the Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts, I rose up filled with a deep sense of gratitude. As if 1000 doves had welcomed me and filled my morning with energy.

I feel that this award symbolizes the love that I feel for Spain, a country that for decades and across different generations has shown me its affection and support and where I have always felt encouraged and loved.
 
If I had to sum up what this award means to me, I would do so in two words: Art and Love. For all the poets and painters from Lorca to Picasso who have inspired me, and for all the affection that I have received, especially from young people.
 
I hope to arrive in Asturias a few days before the ceremony, because it so happens that next October 20th will mark exactly 50 years since my first concert in Spain (October 20th, 1976, in Badalona).
 
I will turn 80 in December, but rather than feeling like I am approaching the end of my road, this Award makes me feel rejuvenated, and I bless each day as the beginning of something new, in a world that needs more than ever our understanding, our work, and our commitment to continue filling it with love and respect for others.”

Patti Smith
New York, 29th April 2026