Prince of Asturias Awards

The Prince of Asturias Awards are a series of annual prizes awarded in Spain by the Prince of Asturias Foundation to individuals, entities or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, and public affairs.

The prize was established on 24 September 1980 by the 12-year-old Felipe,Prince of Asturias,Heir to the Throne of Spain  "to consolidate links between the Principality and the Prince of Asturias, and to contribute to encouraging and promoting scientific, cultural and humanistic values that form part of mankind's universal heritage

A sculpture, expressly created for the prize by Spanish sculptor Joan Miro is presented yearly to the recipients of the prize

Michael Haneke wins 2013 Prince of Asturias Arts Prize

 

Austrian film-maker Michael Haneke(71) has won the prestigious Prince of Asturias award for the arts in Madrid beating 32 other contenders to take the 50,000 euro (£40,000) prize, one of Spain's highest honours

Michael Haneke's latest film Amour, depicting an ageing couple, won best foreign film at this year's Oscars

 

Amour, which tells the story of a couple trying to come to terms with sickness and old age, won the Oscar for best foreign film after winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2012

Note

The arts prize is one of eight given in different fields by the foundation each year

In 2012 arts prize went to Spanish architect Rafael Moneo. Other previous winners include British architect Norman Foster, Spanish director Pedro Almodovar and veteran Canadian songwriter Leonard Cohen 

Annie Leibovitz Wins Prince of Asturias award for humanities

 

US photographer Annie Leibovitz has won the prestigious Prince of Asturias award for humanities.

One of the world's top portrait photographers, the jury hailed her as a "driving force" in photojournalism.

Her pictures, which include singer John Lennon naked and actress Demi Moore pregnant, "reflect an era of politics, literature, film, music and sport".

Annie Leibovitz will be presented with the 50,000 euro (£40,000) prize, one of Spain's highest honours, in October 2013

Her shots have made the front pages of magazines such as Rolling Stone, where she started her career in 1970, and Vogue, for which she has worked for the last 15 years. She is also a contributing editor at Vanity Fair.

One of her best-known cover shots was for Vanity Fair in 1991, when she photographed a naked Moore, who was seven months pregnant