At the emblematic Olympia Theater, Municipal Musical Theater “Maria Callas”, the Award Ceremony of the “Karolos Koun” Awards 2024/25, as well as the Theater and Music Critics Awards 2024/25, organized by the Municipality of Athens through the Culture, Sports and Youth Organization of the Municipality of Athens and the Union of Greek Theater and Music Critics, took place on Monday, December 1, 2025.

During the ceremony, the Mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, presented the “Karolos Koun” Award for Greek Film Direction to Konstantinos Dellas for the play “The Old Women Who Gather Nettles” at the Stathmos Theater.

The President of the Organization for Culture, Sports, and Youth of the Municipality of Athens, Eleni Zontirou, awarded the Best Actor in a Greek Play Award to Haris Charalambous -Kazepis for Oedipus, directed by Sofia Antoniou, while Thanasis Triaridis received the Greek Playwriting Award for his work “Know that what you hear is a train whistle” from the Secretary General of the Municipality of Athens, Vasileios Bokos.

The 2024/25 Theater Review Committee consists of theater critics Anthoula Daniel (chair), Eleni Anagnostopoulou, Kostas Zisis, Katerina Theodoratou, and Nikos Batsikanis, while the Music Critics Committee 2024/25 consists of music critics Georgios Kyrkos-Tayas (chair), Dimitrios Kyousopoulos, Maria Moschou, Eftychios Choriatakis, and Thomas Tambakos. The event will be presented by actress Thalia Matika, who was honored with the International Theater Repertoire Honorary Distinction (2014).

KAROLOS KOUN AWARDS – THEATER AND MUSIC CRITICS AWARDS

2024/25

LIST OF AWARD WINNERS

Α) “KAROLOS KOUN” Awards

Greek Play Direction: Konstantinos Dellas for the play “The Old Women Who Gather Nettles” at the Stathmos Theater

Greek Play Performance: Haris Charalambous-Kazepis for Oedipus, directed by Sofia Antoniou

Greek Play Dramaturgy: Thanasis Triaridis for his play “You Should Know That What You Hear Is a Train Whistle”

B) THEATRE CRITICS’ AWARDS

Grand Theater Award: Despoina Bebedeli – for her performance in the play “From My Mother’s Womb” and for her overall contribution to theater

Ancient Drama Award: Evelyn Asouad – for her performance as Cassandra in Aeschylus’ Oresteia (directed by Th. Terzopoulos)

Theatre Writing Award: “Theatre in Zakynthos in the 20th Century 1901-1953. Musical Life, Social Life and Popular Entertainment” by Dionysis N. Mousmoutis (Plessa Publications)

International Theater Repertoire Award: Ektoras Lygizos – for the theatrical adaptation and direction of Thomas Bernhard’s play “The Loser”

New Theater Artist Award: Mario Banousi – for directing the play “MAMI” at the Onassis Foundation’s Stegi

C) MUSIC CRITICS’ AWARDS

Grand Music Award: Athens Philharmonic Orchestra for its continuous, consistent, and high-level contribution to Greek classical music

Musicology Award: (only commendations were awarded)

Award for a Recording of Greek Interest: “Greek Songs by Non-Greek Composers” by mezzo-soprano Elena Marangou (released by the Etcetera record label)

Award for a Regional Cultural Organization: Kalogeropoulos Foundation for Arts and Culture (Corinth)

Award for New Music Artist: Timotheos Gavriilidis-Petrin (cellist)

D) COMMENDATIONS (theater)

Commendation for Ancient Drama: Aris Biniaris – for directing Aristophanes’ comedy The Birds at Epidaurus

Commendation for Theater Studies: “Dimitrios G. Kampouroglou and Greek Theater. In the Footsteps of History and Tradition” by Konstantina Ritsatou (University of Crete Press)

Commendation for International Repertoire: Vasia Vassiliou – for directing Strindberg’s Miss Julie and her evocative performance

Commendation for New Theater Artist: Stavros Moschis – for his conception and performance in the play “I Will Become Medea – No One Bears Witness for the Witness”

E) COMMENDATIONS (music)

Commendations for Musicological Treatise:
“Nicholas Oikonomou – The Unexpected Escape of a Genius” by Vanda Oikonomou-Konstantinou (Diorama Publications)

and “Odeon of Athens (1871-1873): The chronicle of its founding through archival sources” by Maria Pachnisti (Orpheus Publications)

Commendation for a Recording of Greek Interest: “A Time To Break Silence” by bassoonist Georgios Farougia (published by Subways)

Commendation for a New Music Artist: (not awarded)

F) HONORARY AWARD (out of competition)

Honorary Award: “Opus Alexandrinum – The Music of the Greeks of Alexandria” by flutist Natalia Geraki (published by the Hellenic Foundation for Culture).