The cultural awards of the Republic of Estonia (hereinafter the award) are designated for outstanding creative achievements in the field of culture. The award shall be designated to a natural person.
(1)Each year are designated: 1) up to three awards for long-term outstanding creative activity;[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026] 2) up to five awards for outstanding works that have reached the public in the preceding calendar year.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
(2)The award is accompanied with a certificate.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
(3)The state cultural award is granted in accordance with the procedure provided in the Administrative Procedure Act, unless otherwise provided in this Act.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
The amount of the award is established by a regulation of the minister in charge of the policy sector.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
(1)Proposals for designation of awards may be submitted: 1) by artistic associations; 2) other legal persons whose statutes provide for cultural and educational activities; 3) former laureates; 4) local governments.
(2)Proposals shall be submitted to the Cultural Awards Committee by 10 January each year.
(3)To recognize award candidates, the Ministry of Culture duly publishes on its official website the given name and surname of each properly submitted candidate, the creative achievement specified in the respective proposal and the given name and surname of the person submitting the proposal no later than 1 February of each year.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
(1)The Cultural Awards Committee (hereinafter the Committee) is established by the minister in charge of the policy sector for a term of three years. The Committee is chaired by the minister in charge of the policy sector.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
(2)The competence of the Committee includes discussing the proposals specified in § 4 of this Act, reviewing the submitted works and making a proposal to the Government of the Republic for the granting of awards. The rules of procedure of the Committee are established by a regulation of the minister in charge of the policy sector.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
(3)[Repealed - RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
(1)The awards shall be designated by the Government of the Republic on the proposal of the chairman of the Committee.
(2)The awards are handed over within the framework of the celebrations marking the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
(3)The following personal data may be processed for the purpose of granting an award: 1) the given name, surname and contact details of the person submitting the proposal; 2) the given name and surname of the nominee, together with the statement of justification submitted for the granting of the award; 3) the given name, surname, contact details and bank account details of the award recipient.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
(4)The personal data specified in subsection 3 of this section are retained for seven years as of the date of receipt.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
(1)The state cultural grant (hereinafter the grant) may be awarded to a creative person of up to thirty-five years of age who has attained higher education, for the purpose of supporting the commencement of their professional activities and the establishment of international contacts.
(2)A creative person means a creative person for the purposes of the Creative Persons and Creative Associations Act.
(3)The specific conditions and procedure for determining the amount and awarding of the grants is established by a regulation of the minister in charge of the policy sector.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
(1)The State F.J.Wiedemann Language Award (hereinafter the award ) is granted each year to one natural person for outstanding merits upon study, organisation, teaching, promotion or use of the Estonian language.
(2)The award includes a certificate.
(3)The award is granted in accordance with the procedure provided in the Administrative Procedure Act, unless otherwise provided in this Act.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
The amount of the award is determined each year in the state budget.
(1)Proposals for the designation of the award may be submitted by: 1) legal persons whose statutes provide for activities in the field of the Estonian language or culture; 2) the Ministry of Education and Research; 3) persons who have been granted the State F.J. Wiedemann Language Award.
(2)Proposals shall be submitted to the Language Awards Committee by 10 January each year.
(3)The Language Awards Committee shall disclose the properly submitted proposals and the submitters thereof in a national daily newspaper at the latest by 1 February each year.
(1)The Government of the Republic shall form the Language Awards Committee (the committee) on the proposal of the minister in charge of the policy sector and approve the composition thereof for three years. The committee shall consist of nine members.[RT I, 29.06.2014, 109 – entry into force 01.07.2014, the official title of the Minister of Culture has been replaced by the “minister in charge of the policy sector” from 1 July 2014 on the basis of subsection 4 of § 107³ of the Government of the Republic Act.]
(2)The minister in charge of the policy sector shall make a proposal for approval of the composition of the committee taking account of the following criteria:[RT I, 29.06.2014, 109 – entry into force 01.07.2014, the official title of the Minister of Culture has been replaced by the “minister in charge of the policy sector” from 1 July 2014 on the basis of subsection 4 of § 107³ of the Government of the Republic Act.] 1) at least one third of each of the following compositions of the committee shall consist of new members; 2) one and the same person shall not be a member of the committee for more than six consecutive years.
(3)The chairman of the committee shall be the minister in charge of the policy sector according to the post.[RT I, 29.06.2014, 109 – entry into force 01.07.2014, the official title of the Minister of Culture has been replaced by the “minister in charge of the policy sector” from 1 July 2014 on the basis of subsection 4 of § 107³ of the Government of the Republic Act.]
(4)The committee shall have the competence for discussion of the proposals specified in § 14 of this Act, examination of the activities of the candidates in the field of the Estonia language and making proposals to the Government of the Republic for the designation of the award. The rules of procedure of the committee shall be established by a regulation of the Government of the Republic.
(1)The award shall be designated by the Government of the Republic on the basis of a proposal of the committee.
(2)The award is handed over within the framework of the celebrations marking the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]
(3)Upon awarding the prize, subsections 3 and 4 of § 6 of this Act are applied to the processing of personal data.[RT I, 20.06.2026, 1 - entry into force 01.08.2026]