The Sonning Prize () is a Danish culture prize awarded biennially for outstanding contributions to European culture.
It is named after the Danish editor and author Carl Johan Sonning (1879–1937), who established the prize by his
will
Will may refer to:
Common meanings
* Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death
* Will (philosophy), or willpower
* Will (sociology)
* Will, volition (psychology)
* Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will
...
.
A prize was first awarded in 1950 to
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
.
However, a sequence of annual awards in this name was established in 1959 with the award to Albert Schweitzer followed by Bertrand Russell in 1960, the criterion being someone who "has accomplished meritorious work for the advancement of European civilization", and judged by a committee of the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
of the
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University.
...
.
From 1971, it was awarded every second year.
Prize winners are chosen by a committee chaired by the rector of the
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University.
...
which decides on laureates from a selection of candidates proposed by European universities. The prize amounts to
DKK 1 million (~€135,000) and the award ceremony is always held on or around 19 April (Sonning's birthday) in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
.
Sonning Prize laureates
Source:
See also
*
List of awards for contributions to culture
*
List of European art awards
This list of European art awards covers some of the main art awards given by organizations in Europe. Some are restricted to artists in a particular genre or from a given country or region, while others are broader in scope. The list is organized ...
*
Léonie Sonning Music Prize
References
External links
Sonning Prize at the University of Copenhagen
{{Philosophy awards
Awards established in 1950
Danish awards
1950 establishments in Denmark
Awards for contributions to culture