The nominees for the 2026 "Melina Merkouri" and "Dimitris Horn" Theater Awards have been announced

The “Melina Merkouri” and “Dimitris Horn” Theater Awards will be presented this year, for the first time, by the Ministry of Culture, at a special ceremony to be held on Monday, May 18, 2026, at 8:30 p.m., at the Acropol Palace. The awards ceremony now falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, following the enactment of Law 5179/2025. The first awards ceremony will be presided over by the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni. The awards are presented annually to one female and one male actor, respectively, for their best performances during the previous theater season.

Melina Merkouri Theater Award

The “Melina Mercouri” Theater Award was established in 2007 by the “Melina Mercouri Foundation.” It is awarded annually to a young actress, a drama school graduate, who has already established a notable career in theater, with appearances in productions and performances in roles that showcased her talent during the previous theater season. The distinguished actress is awarded a cash prize of 5,000 euros and an honorary diploma, while, as a mark of honor, she is presented with the Melina Mercouri Golden Brooch by last year’s winner, which she holds for one year until it is passed on to the next winner.

This year, the Melina Mercouri Golden Brooch will be presented by last year’s award-winning actress, Mary Mina.

The three nominees for the “Melina Mercouri” Award for the 2024–2025 theater season, in alphabetical order, are as follows:

Evelyn Aswad, for her role as Cassandra in Aeschylus’s “Oresteia,” directed by Theodoros Terzopoulos at the 2024 Epidaurus Festival (with a repeat performance in 2025)
Nadia Katsoura, for her role as Margarita in Goethe’s “Faust,” adapted and directed by Aris Biniaris, at the National Theater
Leda Koutsodaskalou as Laura in the play “The Glass Menagerie,” directed by Antonio Latella at the Karolos Koun Art Theater.

The evaluation and the decision to award the Prize are carried out by a five-member Committee established by decision of the Minister of Culture and composed of individuals of recognized standing in the fields of theater and the performing arts. The Committee consists of:

Dio Kangelari, Theater Scholar, Director of Studies at the National Theater’s Drama School, former Assistant Professor in the Department of Theater at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as Chair
Matina Kaltaki, Theater Critic, Journalist
Michael Marmarinos, Director, Artistic Director of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival
Amalia Moutoussi, Actress
Reni Pittaki, Actress

Dimitris Horn Theater Award

The “Dimitris Horn” Theater Award was established in 2001 by director Stamatis Fasoulis and is dedicated to the memory of the great actor Dimitris Horn. It is awarded annually to an emerging actor who has distinguished themselves for their performance during the previous theater season. The distinguished actor receives a cash prize of 5,000 euros and an honorary diploma, while the previous year’s winner presents him, as a token of honor, with the Golden Cross worn by Dimitris Horn (donated by Dimitris Horn’s close collaborator, Theodosis Isaakidis), which he keeps for one year until it is handed over to the next winner.

This year, last year’s winner, Yannis Tsoumarakis, will present Dimitris Horn’s Golden Cross.

The six nominees for the “Dimitris Horn” Award for the 2024–2025 theater season, listed in alphabetical order, are as follows:

Christos Diamantoudis, for his role as Hamed in the play “The Boy with Two Hearts” by Hamed and Hesaam Amiri, directed by Takis Tzamaras at the Alma Theater.
George Zygouris, for his role as Mitch in Tennessee Williams’ play ”A Streetcar Named Desire”, directed by Dimitris Karantzas at the Proskinio Theater.
Vasilis Boutzikos, for his role as the Boy in the play “A Cursed World” by Vasilis Mavrogeorgiou and Julia Diamantopoulou, directed by Vasilis Mavrogeorgiou, at the Art Theater (Frynichou) and for his role as the Salesman in Thomas Bernhard’s “Walking,” directed by Alexandra Kazazou, at the Dipylon Theater.
Panos Papadopoulos, for his role as Vladimir in Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot, directed by Thomas Moschopoulos, at the Porta Theater.
Nikos Stergiotis, for his role as Tsambi in the play “Just So You Know, What You Hear Is a Train Whistle” by Thanasis Triaridis, directed by Nikos Marnas and Giorgos Gkiokas, at the Studio Theater, Mavromichali.
Vasilis Tryfoultsanis, for his role as Pasqual Andersen in Ivan Viripaev’s play “The Conference on Iran,” directed by Christos Theodoridis, at the PLYFA Theater.