21st February 2022. The Gorsedh Kernow Awards celebrate and honour those who demonstrate the Celtic spirit of Cornwall in creativity or community work and it is open to anyone to nominate. The scheme caters for all ages, with Young People’s’ Awards up to age 18, and Adults’ Awards and Certificates of Recognition. Last year saw a record number of nominations and submissions. This year’s deadline of 24th April gives plenty of time to nominate someone, or submit work, this year. Last year’s winners included singer Will Keating for music projects and the Blanchminster Trust, for community work in Bude. Who will be honoured this year?
These awards are agreed by a panel whose judgments are informed by specialist adjudicators but candidates are nominated by the public. If you have been inspired or impressed by an outstanding contribution to Cornish community or culture made by an individual or group you can nominate them for a Gorsedh Kernow Award. This may be someone, or a group, whose creative or community work has promoted, embodied, or demonstrated the Celtic spirit of Cornwall for a considerable time or in an exceptional way. Winners will be awarded the prestigious Awen Medal, specially designed and made from Cornish tin.
You can also enter your own work for recognition by Gorsedh Kernow’s specialist adjudicators. Successful submissions will be awarded a Certificate of Recognition and may, in exceptional circumstances, be awarded an Awen medal. Adults can submit work in Cornish language writing, Cornish dialect writing, Cornish study, and Creative Work. Creative Work is a new category that enables individuals or groups to submit evidence of their own project (such as an exhibition, new song, or performance). Published books should be submitted instead to the Gorsedh Kernow Holyer an Gof Awards scheme.
Details of how to nominate someone for an award, to submit your own work for recognition, and of the Young People’s awards, are available on the Gorsedh Kernow website at https://gorsedhkernow.org.uk/awards/.
All winners are invited to a presentation evening, with entertainment, and exhibition at the September Esedhvos Festival of Culture. For the past two years this had to be adapted, due to Covid restrictions, but we hope that this year the Grand Bard, Pol Hodge, Mab Stenek Veur, will be able to present the awards at the Esedhvos in Hayle.
If you would like more information on the Gorsedh Kernow Awards, please email awards@gorsedhkernow.org.uk.