Biel Mesquida and the Correllengua Agermanat, 31st of December awards of the OCB

PalmaThe Obra Cultural Balear (OCB) has made public the verdict of the 40th edition of the 31st of December awards, which this year recognize outstanding trajectories in literature, linguistics, and research, as well as educational initiatives, communication projects, and movements for the defense of the Catalan language.

The president of the OCB, Antoni Llabrés, has highlighted that the awards maintain, forty years after their creation, the will to recognize the work of the people and entities that contribute to providing spaces for the use, creation, and social prestige of Catalan.

The winners of the 40th edition

The Francesc de Borja Moll award goes to Melicotó, a Majorcan brand promoted by Francisco Javier Torrado and Jaume Vich that incorporates popular culture, traditions and the island's own expressions into design and everyday objects.

The Josep Maria Llompart award distinguishes the linguist, translator and writer Nicolau Dols i Salas, Professor of Catalan Philology at the University of the Balearic Islands and president of the Philological Section of the Institute of Catalan Studies since 2021. The award recognizes his academic career, especially in the fields of phonetics and phonology, and his commitment to the study and standardization of the Catalan language.

The Emili Darder award recognizes La Bressola, the network of associative schools in Northern Catalonia that this year celebrates fifty years of history. The project promotes education in Catalan through linguistic immersion and works to guarantee the transmission of the language to new generations.

The Climent Garau award goes to the magazine Sa Plaça, which has reached 500 published issues. Linked to the Premsa Forana of Mallorca and integrated since 2017 into the Association of Media in Catalan, the publication stands out for its contribution to local journalism in Catalan. Currently, it covers the news of municipalities such as Alaró, Alcúdia, Inca, Pollença, sa Pobla, and Sineu, among others.

The philologist, anthropologist and professor at the UIB Caterina Valriu receives the Bartomeu Oliver award for her career in research and dissemination of oral tradition and popular literature of the Balearic Islands and the whole of the Catalan linguistic sphere. Her work has contributed to documenting and disseminating folk tales, legends and other expressions of intangible heritage, as well as studying children's and youth literature.

The Miquel dels Sants Oliver award corresponds to the Linguistic Atlas of the Catalan Domain, directed by philologists Joan Veny i Clar and Lídia Pons i Griera and published by the Institute for Catalan Studies. The recognition highlights a reference work for studying the dialectal and historical variation of Catalan based on surveys of speakers from different territories. Also distinguished is the Small Linguistic Atlas of the Catalan Domain, published in nine volumes between 2018 and 2025.

The Bartomeu Rosselló-Pòrcel award, intended for young people under thirty years of age or young collectives distinguished in the cultural field, goes to writer Aina Fullana Llull. A teacher of Catalan for adults, she is the author of the novels Els dies bons (2021) and De gran, vull ser una casa (2026). Her work addresses issues such as drug addiction, territorial transformation, touristification, and cultural displacement.

The Aina Moll i Marquès award distinguishes the Correllengua Agermanat and the group of people and collectives that have made it possible. The initiative, held between April 19th and May 5th, traveled through the Catalan-speaking territories with a symbolic race and a torch that passed from hand to hand. The award recognizes the voluntary work of promoting the language and the capacity for citizen mobilization.

The Gabriel Alomar i Villalonga award, granted by the Board of Directors of the OCB, goes to Dr. Josep Amengual Batle, a missionary of the Sacred Hearts, for his research career in fields such as history, theology, Lullism, patristics, and the ancient toponymy of the Balearic Islands. Also highlighted is his commitment to the Catalan language and the dialogue between the Church and society.

The Joan Alcover award, convened for the first time this year coinciding with the centenary of the poet's death, recognizes Biel Mesquida, a Mallorcan writer and intellectual. With a body of work that spans poetry, narrative, criticism, and cultural reflection, Mesquida has stood out for formal experimentation and the expressive renewal of Catalan literature. Among his books are El bell país on els homes desitgen els homes and L'adolescent de sal.

Honorable mention for Supporting paradise

The jury has granted an honorable mention to filmmaker Margalida Melià for the documentary Suportant el paradís, which reflects on the present and future of Mallorca through conversations with artists and intellectuals from the island. The work addresses the consequences of touristification and gentrification, as well as social and cultural changes and the relationship of the population with the territory.

The jury for the 40th edition is made up of Lluís Segura Ginard, Neus Picó Veny, Maties Garcias Salvà, Joan Carles Palos Nadal, and Magdalena Serra Capó.

The awards will be presented on Saturday, December 12, at the Teatre Principal in Palma, during the Night of Culture gala.