The Crystal Wing award for the year 2025 was awarded on Saturday evening at the Slovak National Theater (SND) in Bratislava personalities from the economic, scientific, cultural, sports and social spheres for exceptional achievements or long-term contribution to society.
About the laureates in ten categories and a special prize in the 29th year were decided by expert juries and the Grand Jury. The event was held in the presence of the President of the Slovak Republic, Peter Pellegrini, who took over the patronage of the award. Many famous faces attended the event. Among the guests was the popular singer Sima, who showed off her pregnant belly. Actor Jozef Vajda also came with his wife and actress Zuzana Vačková, who literally shone. See for yourself in the photo gallery.
The first laureate was v category of visual arts, sculptor and painter Vít Bojňanskýwhose work combines abstract geometric forms with figural and animal motifs. In the music category, mezzo-soprano Eva Blahová, teacher of many successful opera and musical singers, received the awardwho during her career performed as a soloist in many countries of the world and as a member of the jury at international competitions.
In the philanthropy category, Lenka Tašková Valicová, director of the Children’s surgery association, succeeded – OZ Slniečko na cesta!, which helps hospitalized children cope with treatment and provides support to their families and medical staff. Journalist, columnist, university teacher, priest and writer Karol Lovaš won the Crystal Wing in the category journalism and literature.
In the category of medicine and science, the award winner is Jozef Bátora, an archaeologist who was responsible for the discovery of the “Slovak Mycenae” – sites from the Bronze Age in Vráľy, where the method of DNA analysis was applied for the first time from samples taken not only from bones, but also from the cultural layer of dwellings.
In the category innovations and startups succeeded by Ján Žižka, technological entrepreneur, researcher working in the field of hard-tech robotics, 3D vision and logistics automation. Entrepreneur and investor Ján Kasper, who has a portfolio of over 50 companies operating in six European markets and the USA, received the award in the economy category.
Actor Milan Ondrík received an award in the theater and audiovisual arts category. The film Father, in which he plays the main character, collected festival awards in 2025 and was also Slovak candidate for the Oscar in the Best International Film category.
In the popular music category, the laureate is Dara Rolins, a singer with a more than 40-year career in the Czech Republic and Slovakiawhich last year released a new album Znova a zas. In the sports category, Ema Zapletalová, Athlete of the Year 2025, won the award. who achieved a total of ten Slovak records last year and won bronze in the 400-meter hurdles at the World Championships in Tokyo.
The special award was received by presenter, author and broadcasting legend Alena Heribanová. In her thank-you speech, she also mentioned viewers, members of television crews and colleagues.
“Together we created a piece of work under the roof of Slovak Television, this Crystal Wing belongs to all of you who only know it from the headlines, or maybe they don’t know it at all, but I value your work immensely.” said one of the most prominent personalities of Slovak television culture, who has been on the screens since 1979.
She is the author of several projects, the talk show Anjeli strážni is considered the pinnacle of her television workwhich has been on the air since 2004.
