A brilliant award-giving ceremony closed the XVI edition of the Memorial MarĂa Luisa competition yesterday. The Cajastur Cultural Centre in Oviedo was full long before the start of the ceremony. Mountaineers, photograph enthusiasts, the media and general public witnessed the Argentinean Bernardo GimĂ©nez Hauscarriague, winner of this edition, receiving his prize personally from the Culture Minister of the Asturian Regional Government, Ana Rosa Migoya.
Previously, the stage was taken by the finalists, Enrique López Tapia de Inés, Juan José Sierra Alcalå and Jordi Gutiérrez Segura as well as the representatives of the Danish competitor Jesper Tonning and the Slovak Igor Koller, who received their prizes from the representative of Cajastur, an entity that has co-operated with the Competition, César Menéndez Claverol. They all expressed their gratitude and satisfaction for the recognition given to their photographs.
A few minutes after the ceremony began, the speaker gave the floor to Melchor Fernåndez, Assistant General Manager of La Nueva España newspaper, who brilliantly summarised the spirit of this competition in his speech: the promotion and protection of the mountains and their natural environment, the values transmitted and how the mountains are shared with the public in general when they are photographed and presented as slides.
Then, one of the moments that had generated the greatest expectation arrived: an audiovisual presentation which, with an excellent soundtrack, displayed the best slides that had taken part in this XVI Memorial Maria Luisa competition. The said presentation ended with a retrospective look at events that had taken place since 1990 when the competition began.
As is usually the case, the night ended with a meal where, once again, the prize-winners, friends and organisation celebrated the success of the competition.

Bernardo Giménez - Ganador XVI Edición
The Memorial MarĂa Luisa Award has awarded its latest prizes, those that correspond to the XVI Edition for the year 2005, which is about to come to an end. This time, contrary to other editions, where most of the photographers who won prizes were from our country, several of the most important prizes have been awarded to people from abroad.
The Argentinean Bernardo JimĂ©nez Hauscarriague was unable to hide his joy when, on his birthday and when the year 2006 was just starting, he received a call from the Organisation. âWhat a nice piece of newsâ were his first words.
For the first time since the Memorial Awards began back in 1990, the Organisation has decided to grant three prizes in stead of the classic, and highly acclaimed, first prize. This is a way of taking into consideration suggestions offered by the people who have taken part in the competition and of making it easier for the jury to select the slides, more so, taking into account the ever higher quality of competitors each year.
The second prize went to Jordi Gutiérrez Segura from Barcelona with a slide on the Cervino and the third prize went to the Danish competitor Jesper Tonning with a photograph of a tree in the middle of winter.
A special was awarded in the Alpinism/climbing section. In this case, the winner was Igor Koller from Slovakia.
Climbing was the main feature
Each edition is different to previous editions. For some reason, each year, a certain theme seems to stand out above the rest, making it unique. This year, the main feature has been rock climbing and the first prize went to a spectacular photograph of two climbers, something that had never happened in any of the previous editions.
As in previous editions, the flora, fauna and other disciplines linked to mountains were also taken into account during the jury's deliberations, and special mentions were granted to seven themes.
At the close of this XVI Edition, the competition has received photographs from 43 countries.
The award giving ceremony will be held next Friday 17th February at the Cajastur Culture Centre in Oviedo. Entrance is free and all those present will be given a copy of âGrandes Espaciosâ, the Memorial MarĂa Luisa official magazine. The organisation has confirmed the presence of the winner, the Argentinean Bernardo JimĂ©nez.
All the photographs that have won awards, the finalists and those that have received special mentions may be viewed on the organisationâs official web site: www.memorialmarialuisa.com.
WINNER OF THE XVI EDITION
BERNARDO GIMĂNEZ HAUSCARRIAGUE (Argentina)
âAFRICAâ
SECOND PRIZE
JORDI GUTIERREZ SEGURA (Barcelona)
âCERVINO Y SU LUNAâ
THIRD PRIZE
JESPER TONNING (Denmark)
âBRICH TREES AND PINK SKYâ
SPECIAL ROCK CLIMBING PRIZE
IGOR KOLLER (Slovakia)
âTHE ROUTE INDIAN â KALAMARKAâ
FINALISTS:
VITTORIO RICCI (Italy)
âFISHLAKE NATIONAL FORESTâ
FCO. JAVIER SOBRINO SAN MARTIN (CastellĂłn)
âATARDECER EN LAS TRES SORORESâ
JOSEP PLANIOL SALVA (Gerona)
âCAMI DEL CIMâ
ENRIQUE LOPEZ-TAPIA DE INES (Madrid)
âAMANECER EN EL CHO OYUâ
MIRKO BIJUKLIC (Slovenia)
âST â 1â
ANTONIO REAL HURTADO (Albacete)
âATARDECER EN LARRAâ
OTON NAGLOST (Slovenia)
âMORNINGâ
GOTZON ARRIBAS AMESTOY (Vitoria)
âTRABAJOS DE ALTURAâ
JUAN JOSE SIERRA ALCALA (Madrid)
âARISTAâ
SEMI-FINALISTS:
IMANOL DIAZ DE GARAIO ESNAOLA (Urretxu)
âCERVINO Iâ
VOTTORIO RICCI (Italy)
âMATI LASAL NATIONAL FORESTâ
DARIO FERRANDI (Italy)
âCOTTON GRASSâ
FRANCOIS LAURENS (France)
âEN MONTAT SUR LA DUNE â ARGELIAâ
EFRAIN M. PADRO GONZALEZ (U.S.A.)
âMOON OVER HALLETTâ
SPECIAL MENTIONS BY THE JURY ON THE BEST THEMATIC SLIDES:
Hiking photograph:
IĂAKI BERGERA SERRANO (Pamplona)
âEL CAMINO VERDEâ
Creative photograph:
ISABEL DIEZ SAN VICENTE (Basauri)
âMOVIMIENTOâ
Mountain habitat:
BRENDT FISCHER (Germany)
âPARQUE NACIONAL VANOISEâ
Nocturnal photograph:
JESUS NAVAS FERNĂNDEZ (MĂĄlaga) âNOCHE SOBRE EL TORCAL ANTEQUERAâ
Flora
: MARC VAN AERDE (Belgium)
âCORNUS SUECICAâ
Mammals:
ARMANDO MANICIATI (Italy)
âLINX PORTRAITâ
Birds:
ROBERTO GONZALEZ LUIS (Alava)
âMILANO REALâ