The award aims to support Bulgarian language media abroad preserving and disseminating Bulgarian culture and spirit in line with the objectives of NEF “13 Centuries Bulgaria”.
It is given annually, according to the Statutes set by the Executive Board of the Fund, by a jury comprising a Chairman, the Director of BTA, and members, the Executive Director of the Fund and the Head of Public Relations Office of BTA.
The media should have proven contribution in dissemination of Bulgarian culture within the respective country and beyond it; it should be bilingual (one of the languages must be Bulgarian), its program must include sustainable and constructive theories from the area of Bulgarian culture.
The award is given at the World Meeting of Bulgarian Media organized by the Association of Bulgarian Media in the world (ABMS) and Bulgarian Telegraph Agency.
2024
NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ presents the 2024 award for Bulgarian-language media abroad
The ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund award for contributions to the dissemination of Bulgarian culture by Bulgarian-language media abroad was presented on 21 June 2024, at the Nineteenth World Meeting of Bulgarian Media. This year, the forum, traditionally organised by BTA [the Bulgarian News Agency], was held from 18 to 21 June—in praesentia in the Ukrainian cities of Odesa, Bolhrad and Izmail, and virtually, for those participants who joined online.
This year’s theme, ‘Media and Community’, focused on informational awareness about Bulgaria on the part of Bulgarian minorities abroad, as well as about them by the people of Bulgaria. The biggest historical Bulgarian community outside the country is located in the Odesa region. With over 150 thousand Bulgarians living there, it is the third-largest diaspora in Ukraine, according to the official 2001 census.
The prize is awarded annually by a jury chaired by Kiril Valchev, Director General of BTA, with Bisera Yosifova, Executive Director of NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’, and Assoc. Prof. Georgi Lozanov, Head of LIK: Culture, Science Education Directorate, as supporting members.
This year’s winner was Svetlana Dragneva, a correspondent of the Bulgarian News Agency in Odesa, who is involved in the cultural and educational activities of the Bulgarian community in Ukraine.
The NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ award was set up in 2013 in recognition of the efforts of working Bulgarian journalists abroad to preserve and promote their national culture.
Photographs courtesy of the BTA / Bulgarian News Agency archives.
2023
NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ presents the award for Bulgarian-language media abroad
The ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund award for contributions to the dissemination of Bulgarian culture by Bulgarian-language media abroad was presented on 3 June 2023, at the Eighteenth World Meeting of Bulgarian Media. This year, the forum, traditionally organised by BTA, was held from 1 to 4 June in Kazanlak with the theme of ‘Media and Freedom’.
The prize is awarded annually by a jury chaired by BTA’s Director General, with the Fund’s Executive Director and the head of the BTA Public Relations Department as supporting members.
To qualify for the prize, the media must have made a proven contribution to the dissemination of Bulgarian culture in the respective country and beyond; to be bilingual, with Bulgarian as one of those languages; to have presented sustainable and constructive topics in the field of Bulgarian culture within its programme output.
The ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund award was set up in 2013 in recognition of the efforts of Bulgarian journalists abroad to preserve and promote their national culture.
This year’s prize of BGN 2,000 went to the Bulgarian programme on the SBS multimedia platform of Australian Public Radio, hosted by Filli Ladgman, Executive Producer of the Bulgarian section.
The award was presented by Mrs. Adriana Meshkovaq Expert, contests and awards at the NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’.
The programme has been broadcast since 1946 and unites the Bulgarian diaspora in Australia.
2022
NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ to present an award for Bulgarian-language media abroad
The winner will be announced at the 17th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media Abroad, organised by the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA)
The ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund award for contributions to the dissemination of Bulgarian culture by Bulgarian-language media abroad will be presented at the 17th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media. The forum, traditionally organised by BTA, will this year be held from 1 to 3 November in Israel.
The purpose of the award is to encourage Bulgarian-language media abroad that preserve and promote Bulgarian culture and spirit, in accordance with the ideas and principles of NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’.
The prize is awarded annually by a jury chaired by BTA’s Director General, with the Fund’s Executive Director and the head of the BTA Public Relations Department as supporting members.
To qualify for the prize, the media must have made a proven contribution to the dissemination of Bulgarian culture in the respective country and beyond; to be bilingual, with Bulgarian as one of those languages; to have presented sustainable and constructive topics in the field of Bulgarian culture within its programme output.
The ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund award was set up in 2013 in recognition of the efforts of working Bulgarian journalists abroad to preserve and promote their national culture.
So far, eight media organisations have received awards:
The first winner was Svetla Kyoseva of Hemus magazine, which is published in Hungary in Bulgarian and Hungarian.
At the Tenth World Meeting of Bulgarian Media, in Brussels in 2014, the award went to Maria Zaharieva from Bulgari magazine in Czechia.
Dora Kostova, publisher of the Roden Krai [Native Land] newspaper in Ukraine for 26 years, was the third prize holder.
A year later, at the Twelfth World Meeting of the Bulgarian Media in Prague, the status of the prize was subject to discussion and the criteria for awarding amended.
The 2016 prize was awarded to Dialogue magazine from the Netherlands in the person of its editor-in-chief, Daniela Gorcheva.
She was succeeded by journalist Maxim Bozhilov, who has published a Bulgarian newspaper in Toronto for 20 years, and broadcasts the Bulgarian Horizons radio programme.
In 2018, the prize went to Dimitar Ganchev on behalf of the Vatican Radio’s Bulgarian-language Programme.
The 2019 prize-winner was BG VOICE Chicago, USA, published by Yasen Darakov.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the World Meeting of Bulgarian Media did not take place, and so the NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ prize was not awarded.
The following year, Kamelia Ilieva deservedly received the prize on behalf of Roden Glas [Native Voice] magazine, published in Czechia.
Who will be the next winner of the award for Bulgarian-language media abroad? This will be announced in Tel Aviv.
2021
The award of the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund for Contribution to the Dissemination of Bulgarian culture by Bulgarian-language Media Abroad was presented by Slava Ivanova, the Fund’s Executive Director, at a ceremony in Kyustendil Art Gallery
At the Sixteenth World Meeting of Bulgarian Media organised by BTA, the prize was awarded to the magazine, Roden Glas [Native Voice], from Czechia, in the person of Kamelia Ilieva, its editor-in-chief. This year, the publication marks 50 years of continuous existence.
Slava Ivanova stated: ‘It is a real privilege for me to be here with you. I should like to wish you to be healthy, strong, and successful as ever. May the light in Maystora’s paintings around us give meaning to your path and illuminate your intentions.’
Following the award, Kamelia Ilieva thanked for the prize and said that she accepted it as recognition of the creators of the magazine, which was launched in 1971 in Bratislava.
The ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund prize was established in 2013 as a form of tribute to Bulgarian journalists abroad who preserve and promote Bulgarian culture and spirit. So far, seven media organisations have received awards.
The first, 2013 winner was Svetla Kyoseva of Hemus magazine, which is published in Hungary in Bulgarian and Hungarian and celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
At the Tenth World Meeting of Bulgarian Media, in Brussels in 2014, the award went to Maria Zaharieva from Bulgari magazine in Czechia.
Dora Kostova, publisher of the Roden Krai [Native Land] newspaper in Ukraine for 26 years, was the third prize holder.
At the Twelfth World Meeting of the Bulgarian Media, in Prague, the status and the criteria for awarding the prize for Contribution to the Dissemination of Bulgarian Culture in the respective country were amended. It is obligatory to publish in Bulgarian, and to have presented sustainable and constructive topics in the field of Bulgarian culture among its output.
The 2016 prize was awarded to Dialogue magazine from the Netherlands in the person of its editor-in-chief, Daniela Gorcheva.
The fifth winner was journalist Maxim Bozhilov, who has published a Bulgarian newspaper in Toronto for 20 years, and broadcasts the Bulgarian Horizons radio programme.
In 2018, the prize went to Dimitar Ganchev on behalf of the Vatican Radio’s Bulgarian-language Programme, at the Fourteenth World Meeting of Bulgarian Media, in Skopje.
The 2019 prize-winner was BG VOICE Chicago, USA, published by Yasen Darakov, at the Fifteenth World Meeting of Bulgarian Media, in Tiranë, Albania.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the event did not take place and the NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ prize was not awarded.
You can watch Slava Ivanova’s speech here:
2019
BG VOICE Chicago, USA, winner of the Award for Contribution to the Dissemination of Bulgarian Culture by Bulgarian-language Media Outlet Abroad, ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’
The 15th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media, organised by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency and the Association of Bulgarian Media Worldwide, was held from 22 to 25 November 2019 in the Albanian capital, Tiranë, under the motto, ‘Media and National Priorities’. The award, established in 2013, is a deserved acknowledgment of the efforts of working journalists abroad to preserve and promote their native culture and spirit.
The 2019 award winner is BG VOICE Chicago, USA. The prize was presented to the publisher and editor-in-chief, Yasen Darakov, by Assoc. Prof. Georgi Lozanov, Member of the Management Council of the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund.
2018
Award “For contribution to the dissemination of Bulgarian culture by Bulgarian language media abroad “13 Centuries Bulgaria ” 2018
The fourteenth World Meeting of the Bulgarian media, which took place in the capital of Republic of North Macedonia – Skopje, was attended by more than 50 Bulgarian media from around the world, intellectuals from Bulgaria and Macedonia, representatives of the Bulgarian diaspora.
In the “Media and Memory” meeting, topics such as “national pride and historical prejudices”, “the different faces of patriotism”, “business and national debt”, “propaganda against journalism”, etc. were discussed.
The forum is organized by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency and the Association of Bulgarian media around the world. The award was established in 2013 and is a recognition for the efforts of the working journalists abroad to preserve and popularize native culture and spirit.
Bulgarian program of the “Radio Vatican” is recipient of the 2018 prize.
The monetary equivalent of 2 000 BGN and a diploma were presented to the editor of the program, Dimitar Ganchev, by the executive director of the National Endowment Fund “13 Centuries Bulgaria”, Mitko Todorov.
2017
Award “For contribution to the dissemination of Bulgarian culture by Bulgarian language media abroad” of “13 Centuries Bulgaria”, 2017
Journalist Maxim Bozhilov, who has published a Bulgarian newspaper for nearly 20 years and maintains the radio program, “Bulgarian Horizons”, in Canada, received the annual Award for contribution to the Bulgarian culture from Bulgarian language media abroad “13 Centuries Bulgaria”. The award was served by the executive director of NEF “13 Centuries Bulgaria”, Mitko Todorov.
The theme of the Thirteenth Bulgarian Media Meeting, which took place from 4 to 8 October 2017 in the capital of Republic of Moldova, Kishinev, was “Proximity Policies”. Issues about education, relationship science-business, movement workforce and technology, tourism development, and the role of the media to form a closer and cohesive society was discussed.
2016
Award for Contribution to the dissemination of Bulgarian culture by Bulgarian language media abroad, “13 Centuries Bulgaria” 2016
The twelfth World Meeting of the Bulgarian Media gathered from 17 to 21 May 2016 in the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague. The meeting, whose theme is “The media and civil causes” was attended by representatives of the most influential print and electronic editions, radios and televisions from Bulgaria and the world from more than 20 countries.
In one of the panels under the program of the meeting, the status of the annual award for contribution to the dissemination of Bulgarian culture by Bulgarian language media abroad “13 Centuries Bulgaria” was discussed. The award was established in 2013.
The winner of the 2016 prize is the “Dialogue” magazine from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was conferred to the editor of the magazine Daniela Gorcheva by the executive director of NEF “13 Centuries Bulgaria”, Mitko Todorov.
2015
NEF “13 Centuries Bulgaria” awarded the award for Bulgarian media abroad in the framework of the 11th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media
In the finals of the eleventh World Meeting of Bulgarian Media, held from 4 to 8 November 2015 in the Greek capital Athens, the prize of the National Endowment Fund “13 Centuries Bulgaria” was awarded to Bulgarian media abroad. Its winner for 2015 is “Roden Krai”, Ukraine. The prize and the diploma were awarded to the editor of the newspaper, Dora Kostova, by the executive director of the 13 Centuries Bulgaria Fund, Mitko Todorov.