The program 'Imprescindibles', National Television Award 2019

The jury, unanimously, wanted to recognize the program, which is about to celebrate its tenth anniversary, "for its importance in disseminating to the general public personalities and authors who were decisive for the cultural history of recent Spain."

The program Essentials was awarded this Wednesday with the National Television Award corresponding to the year 2019. The prize is awarded by the Ministry of Culture and Sports and is endowed with 30,000 euros.

The jury, unanimously, wanted to recognize the program, which is about to celebrate its tenth anniversary, “for its importance in the dissemination to the general public of decisive personalities and authors for the cultural history of recent Spain.” Likewise, the Jury highlights the excellence of the program in terms of the use of innovative treatments and languages ​​in the television medium.

Directed by Ana María Peláez, Essentials is a series of documentaries produced entirely by public television, about the most prominent figures of Spanish culture of the 20th century, which are broadcast every week by La 2 on TVE and RTVE.es.

Some of the figures who have starred in this space throughout its nine seasons, among many others, have been: the artist Eduardo Chillida, the actresses Concha Velasco and Nuria Espert, the poet José Manuel Caballero Bonald, the musician Xavier Cugat, the sculptor Martín Chirino, the editor Carmen Barcells, the photographer Isabel Muñoz, and the singer Camilo Sesto.

The documentary series Essentials has been distinguished with numerous international recognitions among which are the 2018 Silver Globe at the Hamburg Festival, for the documentary The strange case of Gonzalo Suárez; the Bronze Medal from the 2018 New York Film Festival for the documentary Joaquín Sorolla: the journeys of light; the Golden Globe at the 2017 Hamburg Film Festival for Symphony of stars, about the cook Carme Ruscalleda; and the 2016 Golden Dolphin in Cannes for The architect of New York: Rafael Guastavino.

He jury It has been chaired by Adriana Moscoso, general director of Cultural Industries and Cooperation; and Borja Álvarez, deputy general director of Promotion of Cultural Industries and Patronage, acted as vice president. Antonia Picazo, advisor to the Cabinet of the Minister of Culture and Sports, acted as members; María Casado, president of the Board of Directors of the Academy of Television Sciences and Arts; Vicente Torres, screenwriter, producer and Television specialist; Ángel Sánchez, journalist, writer and Television critic; Victoria Prego, awarded in the previous edition; and Margarita Ledo, professor of Audiovisual Communication at the University of Santiago de Compostela, writer and specialist in studies from a gender perspective.