Nika Award: history of the institution, nominees and winners

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The Nika Award is used by the Russian Academy of Cinematographic Sciences to celebrate the most successful work of filmmakers. In 2018, the ceremony will turn 30 years old. How was this award established and which celebrities have received it in recent years?

History of the institution

The "Nika" award is the "brainchild" of the Union of Cinematographers of the USSR. The first award ceremony was held in 1988. Then the film "Repentance" by Tengiz Abduladze became the record holder, which won six statuettes at once. The famous cartoon Return of the Prodigal Parrot was also awarded.

The founder and author of the idea was Julius Gusman. He holds the position of artistic director and permanent host of the show.

Viktor Merezhko, Eldar Ryazanov, Alexei Batalov were presidents of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts, whose members determine the nominees. This position is now occupied by Andrey Konchalovsky.

As for the choice of winners, previously the best of the best were determined by all participants of the cinema confederation. But in the 90s, the voting order waschanged: it became secret and the number of voters was reduced to a limited group of people. In this regard, many express distrust in the choice of winners, because everything actually depends on several members of the council and the presidium.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Nika turned into a national Russian film award. Where is the Nika Award given? Every year the ceremony is held in a new concert hall.

The history of the creation of the figurine

The author of the Nika award is Julius Gusman. But the figurine was created by a sculptor named Mikulsky.

For a long time the organizers could not decide on the design of the award and the name of the project. Ultimately, the figurine took the form of an attractive girl with wings behind her back, and she was named Nika in honor of the famous goddess who bestows victory.

Records

The Nika Prize, like any other awards in different years, set its own personal records.

For example, the films "Taurus" by Alexander Sokurov, "The Horde" by Andrey Proshkin and "It's Hard to Be a God" by Alexei German won the most statuettes.

But Andrey Zvyagintsev's The Horde and Leviathan received the most nominations: each picture was nominated in 11 categories. The record holders also include the film "The Thief" by Pavel Chukhrai, which was nominated for 10 awards and received 5.

The following films received 6 awards in different years:

• "Repentance" Abduladze;
• "Promised Heaven" Ryazanov;
• “Prisoner of the Caucasus” and “Mongol” Bodrov;
• "Khrustalev, the car!" Herman;
• "Island" Lungina.

Did not waste time and other figures of cinema. Cinematographer Yury Klimenko took home the Nika award five times.

Director Alexander Sokurov received the award 5 times for his work in Taurus and Faust.

A total of 4 statuettes were awarded to the work of actor Sergei Garmash. Only Nina Ruslanova can boast of such success as their actresses.

2015 Laureates

The Nika Prize is awarded annually. In 2015, the film Hard to Be a God, directed by A. Herman, became the “king of the ball”. Firstly, the tape was recognized as the best in terms of directorial work, as well as the artistic qualities of this feature film. Secondly, the costume designer, sound engineer and cameramen who worked on Herman's picture also received a statuette. And, of course, the lead actor Leonid Yarmolnik also received the coveted award.

The second favorite was the social drama "Leviathan", filmed by Zvyagintsev. From the cast, the owners of the statuettes were Elena Lyadova and Roman Madyanov. The film was also nominated for 9 more awards.

Attention was also attracted by the film "The Fool" by Yuri Bykov. The tape was dedicated to the memory of the famous director Alexei Balabanov. "Nika" was awarded to the female supporting actress Daria Moroz, and the director himself was awarded a statuette for screenwriting work.

2014 Laureates

The 2014 Nika Award was held at the Moscow Academic Operetta Theatre. The ceremony took place just on the eve of the centenary of the birth of acting actor Vladimir Zeldin, so he received an award in the Honor and Dignity nomination.

Valery Todorovsky was presented with an award for his nostalgic series The Thaw, which was a special achievement for a director in the field of television cinema.

The most successful feature film was recognized as "The Geographer Drank His Globe Away" starring Konstantin Khabensky. But in the nomination dedicated to the best projects of the CIS and B altic countries, two films were singled out at once: the Crimean Tatar film "Haytarma" about the fate of the famous pilot Amet-Khan Sultan during the deportation period, as well as the Lithuanian melodrama "Sightseeing Girl" by Audrius Yuzenas.

Alexander Veledinsky was recognized as the most successful director, along with him, the leading actors in his project, Elena Lyadova and Konstantin Khabensky, received awards.