The Deputy Mayors, Laia Bonet and Laura Pérez, and the Councillor for Sports, David Escudé, presided over the awards ceremony, which was held at the City Hall’s Saló de Cent at 6 pm on Thursday, 3 November. A grand total of 5 prizes were awarded, to lend recognition and bring visibility to the role played by women associated with sport, whether through the media, clubs, merit or administering and managing sports associations; and to pay tribute to the milestones achieved in the field of women’s sports in Barcelona in 2021.
The first prize to be handed out was under the category of Mass Media, which lends recognition to individuals or media outlets that have played an outstanding role in promoting and disseminating events, activities and successes relating to women and sport. Of the 11 candidates nominated, the winner was Mònica Planas Callol, a journalist at the newspapers Ara and Mundo Deportivo and a contributor to radio RAC1 and SER broadcasts.
The next award was under the category of Sports Club, whose aim is to lend recognition to the Barcelona sports association that has stood out for its work in promoting women’s sport, for its history or for its achievement of a sports milestone in the area of women’s physical activity during the previous year. Of the 16 clubs and associations in the city, the winning candidate was the Les Panteres Grogues Sports Club, for having organised 11 of Donasport, the women’s multi-sport tournament, and for promoting inclusive and egalitarian sport on being the Spanish State’s first LGBTI+ club.
The third award, under the Woman Athlete category, which acknowledges social work on behalf of women’s sport, dedication and sports merit achieved during the previous year, went to the climber Sílvia Vidal, one of the 11 candidates nominated this year, for her success in the world of mountaineering and climbing up large walls and her career performing first international solo climbs.
The next award, under the new category of Women Sports Leader, to Mariona Corbella for her success as the Director of the Esportsalus Foundation and Deputy Chair of Sports Management and Social Action at the Catalan Excursionist Centre. This category is aimed at women who excel in their professional work as directors or managers and this year there were 21 nominations for it.
The last award of the afternoon was under the category of Mireia Tapiador Prize for Promoting Sports. With 12 nominated candidates, the winner athlete was Pilar Lladó i Badia, for her lifetime career and becoming a role model for her family and the city.
A special guest attending the 15th Women and Sport Awards was Mireia Tapiador’s mother, Glòria López, who received a bouquet of flowers from David Escudé as a token of remembrance and affection the city and its sports institutions have for her daughter.
The awards ceremony can be re-experienced by watching Barcelona City Council’s YouTube channel.