On Friday, the Spanish government awarded Gold Medals for Merit in Performing Arts (Medallas de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes) for the year 2015, Manolo Sanlúcar, El Güito and María Pagés are this year's flamenco artists thus honored.
Gold Medals in Performing Arts, conceded by the Spanish government in response to proposals by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, go to people and entities which have proven to be «preeminently outstanding» in the realm of artistic creation, «rendering specific services or contributing to development and spreading of art or the conservation of the nation's artistic heritage».
Guitarist Manuel Muñoz, 'Manolo Sanlúcar', (Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz, 1943), who announced his retirement in July of 2013, dancer and choreographer María Pagés, holder of Spain's National Dance Prize, author of shows such as Utopía, Flamenco Repúblic and Dunes, and dancer choreographer Eduardo Serrano 'El Güito' (Madrid, 1942) are the winners.
