The best festivals, artists, and professionals in the live music industry in Portugal and Spain were recognized at the 9th edition of the Iberian Festival Awards, which took place on March 15 at the Pavilhão Multiusos in Almancil, Algarve.

During the gala, prizes were awarded in 26 categories and 2 awards of excellence (personality and entity of the year), highlighting the talent, innovation, and impact of Iberian festivals.

The Iberian Festival Awards, organized by Aporfest—the Portuguese Association of Music Festivals—provide a space for networking and celebration between professionals in the field. The prizes for excellence are awarded in direct nomination by the Iberian association, without nominations or votes from the public or jury, as is the case with the other awards.

Aporfest’s Vice-President, Marta Azevedo, presented the “Excellence Award” to MiratecArts’ President and Artistic Director, Terry Costa, saying that “Terry Costa is honored with the Excellence Award for Personality of the Year, recognizing his exceptional impact and leadership in the industry. A true visionary, his contributions have left a lasting mark, inspiring others to reach new heights.”

Terry Costa took to the stage and, after thanking the organization, congratulated the Azores, “not only tonight here at the Iberian Festival Awards, with the largest Azorean presence, nominees and winners, but for having nine islands full of creatives willing to work.” Thrilled, the founder of the Cordas Festival, among other internationally recognized projects, added, “It doesn’t matter where we are, but what we do. From the small town of Mirateca, in the parish of Candelária, in the municipality of Madalena, on the island of Pico, in the Azores, Portugal, we have welcomed around 3,000 artists from all corners of the country and the world. We create unique opportunities for residents and visitors and promote a taste of the islands, their arts, and artists beyond the archipelago.”

From Press Release.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks the Luso-American Education Foundation for their support.