Highlights from the 29th Max Awards
Theatre Triumphs
The National Theatre of Catalonia’s production The Third Fugue stole the spotlight in the theatre categories. It won Best Theatrical Authorship, Best Actor (awarded to Ton Vieira), and Best Theater Cast. The play follows a Jewish family that fled the Argentine dictatorship and found refuge in Catalonia, blending humor with stories of exile. The show will return next season and will tour Madrid and Paris.
Another strong contender, Ours, took home two awards: Best Stage Direction (Lucia Carballal) and Best Actress (Mona Martínez). However, the top theatre prize went to 1936, a powerful montage about the Spanish Civil War directed by Andrés Lima. The team dedicated the win to the thousands of people still missing from that conflict.
Dance Awards Shine
In dance, the young company La Venidera—formed by Irene Tena and Albert Hernández—won three Max Awards for their piece No. The work earned Best Dance Show, Best Choreography, and Best Dancer (Irene Tena). Hernández expressed excitement, saying the company now belongs to everyone.
Best Dancer overall went to Juan Berlanga for his performance in JUANCABALLO. The award for Best Dance Cast was given to Fable, choreographed by Roser Lopez Espinosa and presented at Mercat de les Flors.
Revelation Category: New Voices
The Best New Show award went to Golden Fox, a bold piece on sexual violence created and performed by Elisa Forcano. Ivan López‑Ortega received Best New Authorship for his work Taxidermia de una alondra. The 23‑year‑old creator urged more support for emerging artists, noting that many wait years before being recognized.
Other Winning Productions
- Best Musical/Lyrical Show: Towards Echoes of the Sacred by No Love.
- Best Street Show: Gota by Txema Muñoz.
- Best Children’s Show: The Teacher by Anita Maravillas & Portal 71.
Special Honors and Tributes
Flamenco dancer Sara Baras received the Audience Applause award for Vuela, a tribute to Paco de Lucía. Jesús Cimarro, director of the Mérida International Classical Theater Festival, was honored with the Max de Honor.
The gala, directed by Cristina Silveira, highlighted the importance of humble beginnings and featured a small tribute to Margarita Xirgu, the Catalan actress whose 1933 performance of Medea launched the Mérida Classical Theater Festival.
Messages from the Stage
Throughout the evening, speakers advocated for better public education in Spain, called for a free Palestine, and stressed culture as a cornerstone of an open society. Cimarro urged the government to allocate 1 % of the national budget to culture and autonomous communities to contribute 2 %.
Conclusion
The 29th Max Awards celebrated a diverse range of talent, from established theatre giants to fresh dance companies and emerging playwrights. Wins for The Third Fugue and No highlighted storytelling that blends personal history with social themes, while the revelation category underscored the need for more spaces where young creators can thrive. The night ended with a reminder that culture deserves strong public support and that the performing arts continue to be a vital platform for dialogue and change.
Reference: Source
Images Credit: www.diariodeibiza.es