The Queen Presides Over XLSemanal Awards 'Building Bridges'

Queen Letizia presided over the XLSemanal Awards on a very special evening. It was a celebration to "thank four individuals who – in a world made of fragments, algorithms, urgencies, and trenches – have built bridges towards a common space of harmony, commitment, freedom, and also beauty."

This is how Mar Cohnen, director of XLSemanal, described the awards ceremony of Spain's most-read current affairs magazine, held at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid. These awards aim to recognise the achievements of notable figures in our society and culture. In this third edition, the winners were painter, sculptor, and draftsman Jaume Plensa in the Creation category; philosopher and professor of Moral and Political Philosophy Amelia Valcárcel in the Thought category; engineer specialising in industrial robotics Elena García Armada in the Science and Innovation category; and businessman and philanthropist Juan Entrecanales in the Values category.

Granted by a jury chaired by Fernando Belzunce – editorial director of Vocento – and composed of the directors of 17 of the 28 newspapers with which XLSemanal is distributed every Sunday, along with the magazine's director, Mar Cohnen, the XLSemanal Awards were presented in an event hosted by writer Espido Freire, followed by a cocktail attended by some of the most prominent figures from the business, political, and cultural worlds, such as Secretary of State for Culture Jordi Martí Grau; Vocento's CEO Manuel Mirat; the Secretary-General of the Popular Party, Cuca Gamarra; and the director of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, Tomás Marco.

This edition of the XLSemanal Awards was supported by Cantabria Labs, Reale, Santander, and Telefónica as event patrons, with sponsorship from Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres and Renault.

Ignacio Ybarra, president of Vocento, opened the event, emphasising that "XLSemanal champions intelligent and quality journalism. This is journalism that considers its readers and invites us to reflect on the world we live in."

Following his remarks, Mar Cohnen also noted that "XLSemanal is much more than Spain's most-read Sunday supplement. We are a laboratory of coexistence, a unique and successful common space that integrates newspapers, publishing companies, and different ways of thinking and viewing. XLSemanal is the most disruptive exercise of transversality in the Spanish editorial landscape."

Jaume Plensa is, as the director of XLSemanal said, "our most prestigious and international contemporary artist." In his emotional speech, Plensa recalled how he realised he was an artist and could be nothing else: "Pursuing art is not a decision; it's something you suddenly realise is inevitable. When I moved to Berlin, I wasn't sure what I was looking for; I suppose I found something, and I still search for it every day when I enter the studio," he confessed.

Plensa is delighted that his works connect with the public: "Installing works in public spaces worldwide and having people embrace them and make them their own is the best award I can receive."

Philosopher Amelia Valcárcel, emeritus professor of Moral and Political Philosophy, has dedicated her life to defending women's rights with tenacity and arguments. "Philosophy is an ally of truth, world change, and freedom, and feminism is part of freedom. It is freedom for everyone: nothing should bind you because you were born a woman. Philosophy is thought that creates the world, and thought is the strangest and strongest energy that exists; it is the only thing capable of altering the world. Philosophy is splendid."

Engineer Elena García Armada is the creator of the world's first paediatric exoskeletons. Thanks to them, 17 million children with motor difficulties can walk and not only that: they can also play and feel integrated. "We strive to democratise technology to improve the quality of life for children with disabilities. If there is something that fills us with energy, it is the ability to enjoy the enormous smiles these children display every time they stand up and start walking with one of our exoskeletons. The children's smiles, which light up everything, and their mothers' hugs of gratitude are the energy that drives this team's work."

Juan Entrecanales has been honoured for the silent and discreet work of the foundation that bears his name, from which numerous social projects have been promoted. "Although I retired at 70, I want to remain active and help others. Every morning I go to the foundation, which is dedicated to funding entities that work to improve and transform the quality of life for vulnerable people. We work in social action, cooperation and development, and cultural action. The difficult part, the day-to-day management, is done by a very competent team," explained the honorary president of Acciona.

The four awardees received a work created exclusively for these awards by sculptor Francisco Leiro.

Also attending the event were writers Juan Manuel de Prada, Lorenzo Silva, and Carmen Posadas; artists Francisco Leiro, Blanca Muñoz, and Gustavo Ferrer-Dalmau; philanthropist Paco Arango; businessman Santiago Bergareche; photojournalist Álvaro Ybarra Zavala; and gallery owner María Porto.