Hvylya / Dalğa
Award for the Promotion of the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar Languages Worldwide
2026 Edition
Purpose
The Hvylya/ Dalğa Prize annually recognizes outstanding individuals and initiatives that have made a significant contribution to promoting and spreading the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages around the world.
Criteria for the award
Contributors in the field of teaching and promoting the Ukrainian language may receive the distinction for:
- substantial experience and demonstrated achievements in teaching Ukrainian as a foreign or heritage language;
- a significant body of work dedicated to learning Ukrainian as a foreign or heritage language;
- establishing or developing a center for Ukrainian language studies abroad;
- organizing a wide range of events that promote Ukrainian as a foreign or heritage language.
Contributors in the field of teaching and promoting the Crimean Tatar language may receive the distinction for:
- a substantial body of work dedicated to learning the Crimean Tatar language;
- establishing or developing a center for Crimean Tatar language studies;
- significant experience and achievements in teaching the Crimean Tatar language;
- organizing a wide range of events that promote the Crimean Tatar language.
Nomination Rules
The following entities may nominate candidates for the Award: cultural and educational institutions, non-governmental organizations working in the fields of culture, education, or science, as well as diplomatic missions. Each nominator may submit no more than two candidates.
The following individuals are eligible for nomination:
- a teacher of Ukrainian as a foreign language at a higher education institution in Ukraine or abroad;
- a teacher of Ukrainian as a foreign or heritage language in a non-academic setting abroad (including school-level institutions, private educational centers, language schools, and courses);
- a civic, public-sector, or cultural figure whose work is aimed at promoting the Ukrainian language worldwide;
- a teacher of the Crimean Tatar language at educational institutions in Ukraine or abroad;
- a civic, public-sector, or cultural figure whose work is aimed at promoting the Crimean Tatar language worldwide.
Applications for nominations will be accepted until June 22, 2026.
Nominee Application Form for the Promotion of the Ukrainian Language
Nominee Application Form for the Promotion of the Crimean Tatar Language
Detailed information is available in the Prize Regulations.
Jury
The Prize Jury consists of seven members: one representative of the Ukrainian Institute, four independent experts in Ukrainian, and two independent experts in Crimean Tatar. Jury members are appointed for a two-year term.
The 2026 Awards Ceremony
The award ceremony will be held in Kyiv in the fall of 2026.
2025 Edition
Der Hvylya/Dalğa-Preis will annually recognize outstanding individuals and initiatives that have made a significant contribution to promoting and spreading the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages around the world.
- the creation of resources for learning Ukrainian or Crimean Tatar as a foreign language;
- the establishment or expansion of centers for the study of Ukrainian or Crimean Tatar as a foreign language;
- outstanding achievements and successes in teaching Ukrainian or Crimean Tatar as a foreign language;
- the organization of a wide range of events to promote Ukrainian or Crimean Tatar as a foreign language.
Nominations may be submitted by cultural and educational institutions, nongovernmental organizations in the fields of culture, education, or science, as well as diplomatic missions. Each nominator may propose a maximum of two candidates.
Eligible nominees include:
- University instructors of the Ukrainian or Crimean Tatar language
- Teachers of Ukrainian or Crimean Tatar at private educational institutions (language schools or courses)
- Public, cultural, or government figures whose work significantly promotes the Ukrainian or Crimean Tatar language.
How to Nominate
To nominate a candidate, please fill out the online nomination form.
The submission deadline is September 10, 2025 (inclusive).
Detailed information can be found in the award regulations.
The Prize Jury consists of seven members: one representative of the Ukrainian Institute, four independent experts in Ukrainian, and two independent experts in Crimean Tatar languages. Jury members are appointed for a two-year term.
The Jury’s responsibilities include:
- reviewing nomination dossiers;
- assessing candidates against established criteria;
- assigning scores according to a predefined evaluation scale.
The 2025 Awards Ceremony
The award ceremony took place on October 6 in Kyiv as part of the sixth annual International Forum on Cultural Diplomacy, organized in collaboration with the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Marta Jenkala – was honored for her efforts to promote the Ukrainian language worldwide. She is a lecturer in Ukrainian at University College London and a translator. From 2004 to 2010, she served as director of the Ukrainian Institute in London. Jenkala is also the author of Ukrainian language courses for the Ukrainian Studies program at the Institute of Slavonic Studies at the University of Cambridge.
- Nariie Seidametova – was honored for her global efforts to promote the Crimean Tatar language. She is a lecturer in Crimean Tatar, a doctoral candidate at Istanbul University, a methodologist, and a researcher. She is also deputy head of the Commission for the Development of the Orthography of the Crimean Tatar Language, an author of articles for the website “Tuvğan Til,” and an editor of textbooks and teaching materials for Crimean Tatar.