The first ever Fonó Awards event was held on Sunday evening February 28th online.
Hosts for the evening were dancer and Fonó folk music director Berecz István, and folksinger and Fonó artistic director Kubinyi Júlia . Awards were presented by Fonó Managing Director, Horváth László.
Music for the online event was provided by musicians from the Eszterlánc and Ötödik évszak bands.

The event can still be viewed on the Fonó’s Facebook and Youtube channels.

“With the Fonó Awards we would like to acknowledge artistic achievements first of all in this difficult time period. We would like start a tradition of these awards, though we know that they will not affect the artistic career of many musicians, but these people need acknowledgment. We believe that we stand by the life work and artists who have proved that they are worthy of international acclaim on radio programs from Australia to Finland. But, we know that there are many other outstanding musicians that derserve recognition and that’s why we’ll continue the awards next year!” (Horváth László – managing director Fonó Music Hall)

In 2020 the Fonó celebrated its 25th birthday. In celebration they set up a vote in the social media to find out which had been their audience’s favorite events and recordings over the years. There were 25 categories to vote in. Several hundred people participated in the voting. The results were narrowed down into 11 categories.

The awards:

1. The best Fonó dance house over 25 years:
Berka táncház

2. The best concert over 25 years:

Dresch Mihály Quartet & Archie Shepp (2001)

3. The best folk music record over 25 years:
Eszterlánc: Jegesen (2014)

4. The best world music record over 25 years:
Buda Folk Band: Magyar Világi Népzene (2014)

5. The best jazz recording over 25 years:

Dresch Quartet: Mozdulatlan utazás (2000)

6. The best festival over 25 years:
Budapest Folk Fest

7. The best singer over 25 years:

Navratil Andrea

8. The best lead fiddler over 25 years:

Vizeli Balázs

9. The best instrumentalist over 25 years:

Dresch Mihály

10. The best folk musician over 25 years:

Ifj. Csoóri Sándor ’Sündi’

11. The favorite for the ‘Discovered by Fonó’ category:

Ötödik Évszak

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Dresch Mihály

“Listening to music, whether it be live, on a record, or on the radio…if a person pays attention and the given piece of music is in tune with his or her soul – it results in spiritual elevation, a noble transformation similar to a trance.” (Dresch Mihály)

“May this award soar onward to those from whom we got all this; to those that lived in the tradition, live there now and from whom we learned all this. I strive to remember this every day.” (Navratil Andrea)

“For us musicians (and for dancers too) the present is what is important, we don’t pay attention to the future. We live and enjoy ourselves in the moment, whiling away the time. The present is something you can grasp hold of and then look back on; later you may build upon the present as it waves onward within the community.” (Vizeli Balázs)

“For me the greatest recognition was when I was able to play with musicians better than me, especially when I was able to play with the village master musicians, accompanying them. Then after awhile, when they stopped whacking me on the head with their bow, I felt like I must be on the right track.” (Csoóri Sándor Sündi)

“This is not just a direction in music, but an expression of our relationship to our own identity. We thank the Fonó for making a home for this and for the opportunity!” (Zimber Ferenc, Ötödik Évszak Band)

We thank the jury for their dedicated work!

Dr. Fehér Anikó - conductor, folk music researcher MMA-MMKI
Jávorszky Béla Szilárd - music writer/historian
Török Ferenc - world music radio programmer, music writer
Berecz István - dancer, Fonó’s folk music director
President of the jury: Horváth László - director of the Fonó

The Fonó Awards ceremony was broadcast online as the closing event of the Fonó Selection series held during the last week of February 2021.
All Fonó Selection events are available online on the Fonó channels.

MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO VOTED!