The following six finalists received the Award this year:

→ women in the visual arts → Lada Nakonechna;
→ women in music → Alyona Savranenko (alyona alyona);
→ women in theatre and film → Nataliia Vorozhbyt;
→ women in literature → Oksana Zabuzhko;
→ women in cultural management → Yulia Sinkevych;
→ women in cultural journalism, criticism and research → Daria Badyor.

The selection process involved over 40 reputable experts in literature, visual arts, music, theatre, cinema, and other respective spheres.

The selection was based on the criteria of professional achievements, reputation, innovation, and national or international recognition. The lists of expert council, jury, nominees, and winners are available here.

The ceremony took place at the National Oleksandr Dovzhenko Centre, the HeForShe movement’s partner in Ukraine. The movement advocates in Ukraine — Michael Shchur and Yaroslava Kravchenko — became the hosts of the event. The evening ended with the musical performance by electronic ‎folk‎ band ‎Yuko.

The Women in Arts Award was created by the Ukrainian sculptor Maria Kulikovska. The artist’s own hands served as a model for the statuette. As she said, intertwined female hands symbolised the support and protection, as well as women’s work that often went unnoticed.

With the Women in Arts Award, the organisers aimed to lay the foundations for a new tradition in the Ukrainian culture and inspire female artists for new achievements.

During the ceremony, the Ukrainian Institute and UN Women adhered to all recommendations and restrictions related to COVID-19 global pandemic, including the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as of 11.03.2020 №211 “On Prevention of COVID-19 Coronavirus Spread in Ukraine”.

The award ceremony was organised for a limited number of guests with the online stream for a wider audience. All the participants who visited the event in person received proper disinfectants.

HeForShe is a global solidarity movement in support of gender equality, initiated by UN Women, where men and boys from around the world can engage and become change agents for the achievement of gender equality. In Ukraine, the HeForShe movement was established with the financial support of Sweden.