Joan Manuel Serrat, the celebrated artist who has just been awarded the Princesa de Asturias Award for the Arts 2024, shared his first reflections with the foundation receiving the prize. He expressed deep emotion and joy at this moment, noting how meaningful it feels to learn of the honor after a career that has spanned decades and shaped the cultural landscape. The charismatic songwriter, who stepped back from performing two years ago, spoke with warmth about the recognition and the journey that led him to this moment.
In his morning remarks to the foundation, Serrat remarked that there is no finer way to close a long and fulfilling professional journey than with a distinction as prestigious as this. The award, he said, serves as a fitting tribute to a life devoted to art and to the power of song to move people and connect communities across generations.
Remarkably, the award seems almost contrary to the distance of the moment, given that just hours before the announcement he was in Australia visiting his daughter. With a flood of media outlets eager to record his reaction, Serrat’s team organized a rapid press appearance in Barcelona at the headquarters of the General Society of Authors to present his response later in the day.
In his pre-announcement remarks to the foundation, Serrat thanked the jury for valuing his merits and acknowledged those who had previously put his name forward for this prize. The jury’s final decision, after years of consideration, reflected a continuing respect for his body of work. The Catalan artist had been on the cusp of the award on a couple of prior occasions, with the nomination supported by Antonio Gutiérrez, former general secretary of Workers’ Commissions, a detail that underscores the long-standing recognition of his influence.
For José María Flotats, one of the jurors who ultimately granted the prize, Serrat embodies the fusion of poetry, music, and performance. He sees him as a representative of an entire generation and a defining era for a nation, whose words and melodies have resonated with sensitivity and talent.
Minutes after the decision, jurors highlighted Serrat as a benchmark not only for his artistic excellence but also for his civic spirit and commitment to freedom. They spoke of him as a civic reference whose work has long served tolerance and shared values, extending beyond art into the social fabric of the country.
Commenting on the broader significance, the director of the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, Miguel Zugaza, who chaired this year’s Arts jury, noted that after many nominations, the moment had finally arrived for Serrat and for a music that reaches beyond the agora, the public square, through song and poetry.
With this prize, the jury recognized a career that has woven cultural bridges across languages and cultures, and between the two sides of the Atlantic. The museum historian and curator emphasized that this achievement should be valued especially in the present moment, when cross-cultural exchange matters deeply.
As he reflected on the country’s recent history, Zugaza suggested that honoring Serrat also honors the memory of a nation’s journey from the Franco era to the present day, highlighting how his music has become part of the country’s soundtrack of liberty and democracy.
Photographer Isabel Muñoz Villalonga, embarking on her first year as a juror, described Serrat as memory, emotion, and heart, and as a symbol of hope in a moment when the world needs it most. For Muñoz Villalonga, the songwriter behind Mediterráneo tells stories that captivate across generations and have the power to become anthems that move people deeply. She called Serrat’s prize a wonderful recognition.
Carlos Pagés, a flamenco choreographer who attended the reading of the jury’s decision, smiled broadly and emphasized the importance of continuing to share Serrat’s music, message, and voice in a time that calls for dialogue, consensus, and extending his example beyond borders.
According to the jury’s minutes, Serrat blends the arts of poetry and music to serve tolerance, shared values, and the richness of linguistic and cultural diversity. The act of granting this award underscores a commitment to freedom and dialogue that has guided his work through the years.