Free for publishing on 12 June Award winners at the Helsinki Day festival on 12 June 2018 at 6 pm Helsinki-based Athlete or Team of the Year Marigold IceUnity synchronised skating team (Helsingin Luistelijat) The award will be received by the team’s captain Camilla Sundgren and assistant captains Sofie Ahti and Anni Kaiku Award description: The award is granted for competition success. Award winner: • Synchronised skating World Championship in Stockholm in 2018. • Marigold IceUnity also won the Finnish Championship in 2018. • The team consists of 22 skaters and its captain is Camilla Sundgren. The coaches are Anu Oksanen and Tiina Turunen, and the assistant coaches are Tiina Pesonen, Pirjo Kuha and Harri Antikainen. ***** Young Helsinki-based Athlete of the Year Olli Ojanaho (born in 1997) Award description: The award is given to a young athlete who has made a breakthrough to the top in his or her sport. Award winner: • He won three gold medals (long distance, middle distance and sprint) as well as a silver medal in relay at the World Youth Orienteering Championships in Tampere in July 2017. • He represents Helsingin Suunnistajat and is coached by Totte Smedlund. ***** Mailing address: P.O. Box 1, FI-00099 CITY OF HELSINKI [email protected] www.hel.fi/en Calling address: Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13, 00170 Helsinki +358 9 310 1641 Business ID: 0201256-6 Helsinki-based Coach of the Year Matti Mäki Award description: The grounds for the award are his specific merits when coaching children and young athletes. Award winner: • He is the head coach for Helsingfors Simsällskap ry in general as well as for young swimmers. • He is also a coach at the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Sports Academy, Urhea. • He has been very committed to coaching swimmers for more than 10 years, which has also resulted in success in recent years. In 2017, for example, the club won the highly respected award Kalevan Malja, which is given annually to the most successful club in the long course Finnish Championships. ***** Helsinki-based Sports Club of the Year Helsingin jalkapalloklubi The award will be received by Aki Riihilahti (CEO of HJK Oy) and Timo Muurinen (Executive Manager of HJK ry). Award description: The grounds for the award are the merits when coaching children and young athletes. Award winner: • Helsingin jalkapalloklubi is the biggest and most successful football club in Finland. The club has approximately 3000 members. • HJK organises football schools for children starting from 3 years old all year round. • HJK also organises afternoon groups (12 noon to 5 pm) for first- and second-graders as required by the Basic Education Act. The afternoon groups get a daily attendance of approximately 400 children. The groups mainly operate in co-operation with schools. • HJK has been involved in a project (2016–2018) sponsored by The European Social Fund (ESF) in which football clubs started low- threshold football as a hobby for young people of 16–20 years of age who are studying at vocational schools. The project was started to promote the well-being of the students as well as improve their life management skills, encourage their study motivation and strengthen their working life skills. The students are trained and allowed to participate in the club events as volunteers, in which role they can be active and make an impact. ***** Mailing address: P.O. Box 1, FI-00099 CITY OF HELSINKI [email protected] www.hel.fi/en Calling address: Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13, 00170 Helsinki +358 9 310 1641 Business ID: 0201256-6 Science Award Academic Markku Kulmala Award description: The purpose of the Helsinki Science Award is to improve and promote Helsinki as a science city. The award is granted as a recognition for significant scientific work by a person living in Helsinki or work done in Helsinki. This award has been given since 1996. Award winner: Academic Markku Kulmala is one of the world’s leading researchers of the physics and chemistry of atmospheric aerosols. Kulmala’s internationally pioneering research on the subject has significantly increased our understanding of the mechanisms impacting climate change. He works at the Kumpula campus of the University of Helsinki and has played a central role in developing both international and local research infrastructures. Kulmala’s top-level research unit works for the benefit of and in co-operation with the city by building, among other things, a comprehensive air quality measurement network, and also researches the potential air quality of the city boulevards currently being planned. ***** Culture Award of the Year 2018 Actress, director and playwright Leea Klemola Award description: The Helsinki Culture Award has been granted since 1962. The award is granted annually to a Helsinki-based artist as recognition of significant artistic merits or important work for the benefit of cultural life in Helsinki. Award winner: Leea Klemola is an actress, director and playwright. She has been the artistic director of Aurinkoteatteri as well as acted in several plays, movies and TV series. The drama series Myrskyn jälkeen, which she co-wrote with Kaarina Hazard, won three Golden Venla Awards this year. Leea Klemola is also known for her taboo-breaking plays. With the same courage, she has been taking a strong part in the current Me Too discussion. ***** Artists of the Year Aapo Häkkinen, Artistic Director of the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra Award description: The artist of the year awards are granted for the second time to Helsinki-based artists from different artistic disciplines. Three artists are awarded for significant contemporary artistic work. Award winner: Aapo Häkkinen is the artistic director of the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra. His instrument is harpsichord and he has acted in several orchestras Mailing address: P.O. Box 1, FI-00099 CITY OF HELSINKI [email protected] www.hel.fi/en Calling address: Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13, 00170 Helsinki +358 9 310 1641 Business ID: 0201256-6 as a soloist and conductor. Häkkinen has developed the operation of the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra and diversified the selection of classical music in Helsinki. The Helsinki Baroque Orchestra is famous both in Finland and abroad. A major investment of the Baroque Orchestra’s classical music concert series this spring is an opera about the founder of Helsinki, Gustav I of Sweden, the premiere of the opera Gustav I of Sweden composed by Czech composer Leopold Kozeluch. Author and director Saara Turunen Award winner: Saara Turunen is an author, director and dramaturge. One of the professors of the University of the Arts Helsinki has said that Turunen is “one of today’s most interesting dramatists and playwrights”. Her work often deals with norms and identity and she gives a voice to Finns with a foreign background. Her plays have also drawn attention from abroad, and she has been asked to direct her plays in other countries as well. This spring saw the publication of her second novel, Sivuhenkilö, which deals with, among other things, power structures in the art world. Actor Tuukka Vasama Award winner: Tuukka Vasama, an actor specialised in music, works as an actor at the fast-growing Red Nose Company theatre in Helsinki, and he is also the executive producer and primus motor of the theatre. He is active within artist communities such as Live Art Society and is also planning several interactive projects in Helsinki. Together with Timo Ruuskanen, he continues to present the Red Line. In this performance about the life of the author Ilmari Kianto and the first steps of independent Finland, the duo combine their acting skills with music and clownery and also leave space for the audience to interact and perhaps to laugh at themselves. ***** Golden Helsinki Medals Award description: The Golden Helsinki Medal is the highest accolade awarded by the City of Helsinki, a kind of honorary citizenship. Annually approximately 10 merited citizens are awarded for their work for the benefit of the City of Helsinki and the people living in Helsinki. Executive Manager Iiris Autio Award winner: Iiris Autio has worked as the executive manager of the Tero Saarinen Company and Tero Saarinen’s working partner since 2001. She has promoted Finnish contemporary dance around the world by working in various positions connected to marketing and producing contemporary dance as well as communication. At the moment, she is also a board member of Dance House Helsinki. Mailing address: P.O. Box 1, FI-00099 CITY OF HELSINKI [email protected] www.hel.fi/en Calling address: Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13, 00170 Helsinki +358 9 310 1641 Business ID: 0201256-6 CEO Juha Kaakinen Award winner: Juha Kaakinen is the CEO of Y-Foundation and has had an important career in removing homelessness from Helsinki and Finland. Juha Kaakinen has been working for a long time to improve the living conditions of the homeless. Kaakinen was involved in composing the Housing First principle and has also taken his thoughts outside Finland. Because of his work, Finland has been praised for trying to remove homelessness. CEO Gunvor Kronman Award winner: Gunvor Kronman is a central figure in promoting Nordic co- operation and an important social influence. She has a lot of experience in management and international work. Since 2003, she has worked as the CEO of Hanaholmen Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre. Leadership, strategic planning and mentoring are within her areas of expertise. Trainer, Work Supervisor Sirpa Lautjärvi Award winner: Sirpa Lautjärvi is the former headmaster of Sophie Mannerheim School. She also has extensive experience in special education. Even after her retirement, Lautjärvi has been active within special education in Helsinki and especially in developing the hospital education within Sophie Mannerheimin Koulun Tuki ry. Lautjärvi is an important pedagogical leader in organising education for sick children.