Kissing and making a revolution: this is the first Anna Pérez Pagès Prize for Cultural Journalism.

BarcelonaTo all of us who are dedicated to the world of culture and, more specifically, to cultural journalism, we all had a pending appointment with theAnna Pérez Labrador, a call, a show, a lunch menu, a television segment. But what her untimely death took from us a year ago has been returned to us by her friends in the cultural world (Anna Aurich, Gemma Ruiz, Anna Guitart, Julia Bertran, Claudia Rius, and Neus Masferrer) in the form of an annual award in memory of her legacy. "Anna was a rigorous and joyful journalist, which is why this award aims to defend the place of cultural journalism and aims to be a meeting place for the sector, where we can kiss and make a revolution," Ruiz explained.

This Tuesday, the first Anna Pérez Pagès Award for Cultural Journalism was held at the Teatre Lliure. It went to Carolina Rosich, Deputy Head of Culture for TV3 News and a specialist in art and architecture. Rosich (Barcelona, ​​1978) is another tireless cultural journalist, with a 25-year career in television marked by rigor, quality, a love of culture, and camaraderie—characteristics she shared with the honoree. The jury (made up of Natza Farré, Manel Carrasco, Lucía Ramis, and Juan Carlos Olivares) must have wondered: who would have chosen Anna? A sure bet. So they honored Rosich's "brilliant and rigorous journalism," always carried out with a vocation for service from the privileged vantage point of 3Cat. The award winner, holding the trophy designed by CaboSanRoque, recognized Pérez Pagès as "a beacon, an example of the best journalism" and also of "compelling passion." Rosich defended the role of cultural journalism and how, sometimes by force, it has made its way into the news: "We are no longer last, we are no longer at the end," he celebrated, acknowledging the teamwork of all his colleagues in the section, led by Toni Puntí, and of the cultural programs on television and radio.

The event was charmingly presented by Glòria Ribera and Oriol Puig Taulé to the rhythm of some satirical songs. Word, word, word And she ended with words of remembrance from her friendly audience. "Because Anna thought about the lyrics for her funeral and thought she'd have the last word," said Guitart, but that wasn't the case. Her friends had their say. People like Carme Riera, who sent a message to say she still loves her in the present tense; Gemma Ruiz, who misses her hugs without asking for anything in return; and critic Xavi Pardo, who remembered the song that played at the funeral: life is better dancing togetherOther anonymous commenters recalled how, quite simply, she is missed all the time, in the audience and in banal conversations. "You would have won first prize for cultural journalism," said someone. "How lucky we are to have known you. I want to think that all the love reaches you," said another. How lucky you are still here, I think, now in Lliure, where it sounds like a chestnut. Go West and we celebrate that together we will make our plans. We'll be back next year.