Barcelona's Premios Princesa de Girona 2026 celebrates six young innovators
Six young Catalan talents were honoured at the Premios Princesa de Girona 2026 ceremony held in the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona. The event was presided over by the King and Queen, the Princess of Asturias and Girona, the Infanta Sofía and featured performances by Soleá Morente and Luz Casal.
The awardees included social entrepreneur Hatim Azahri, who founded the youth association Units pel Poble‑sec; biotech entrepreneur Patricia Aymà, creator of compostable bioplastic; fintech co‑founder Mercedes Bidart, whose platform Quipu provides credit to informal‑sector businesses; filmmaker Gemma Blasco, recognised for her film “Furia”; and scientists Rafael Luque and José Eduardo Méndez, noted for exoplanet discoveries and nebula research. Princess Leonor highlighted the need to support and accompany “young talent”, while the King urged collective progress.
More than 2,000 guests attended, and past laureates presented the awards to the new recipients, underscoring the ceremony’s role in inspiring the next generation of innovators.