Polish Ambassador 2021 - we know the winners of the KGHM plebiscite

Firemen, footballers, a physicist, a dancer - KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. has once again rewarded outstanding Poles who, through their activities, contribute to promoting Poland around the globe. The Polish copper giant's Ambassador of Poland 2021 plebiscite has been resolved. The ceremonial gala was held under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda.

Polish Ambassador 2021 plebiscite serves to distinguish outstanding people who in various areas show globally that Poland is a country of people with great passion and commitment. As every year, the nominees included several dozen people, including successful scientists, representatives of culture in the broad sense of the word and athletes.

In his opening remarks, Marcin Chludziński, the President of KGHM Polska Miedź S.A., emphasised that the Company, as the business ambassador of Poland, tries to promote all achievements which enhance our national brand.

"I am delighted that this plebiscite is taking place for the third time and that so many entries have been received. This proves that it is needed. We have many laureates who represent different fields of science, culture and sport. They have one thing in common - they are excellent, passionate and promote Poland internationally. They often devote their private time and energy and achieve very tangible results", said the President of KGHM.

Prizes were awarded in several categories. In the 'Sport' category, the laurels went to the Polish national AMP football team. The team won the bronze medal at the European Championships this year.

In the 'Science' category, Professor Grzegorz Wrochna was awarded the prize. The eminent physicist is a specialist who has worked with NASA and also participated in the design and construction of the Large Hadron Collider at the CERN research centre. The award was given to him in recognition of his contribution to the development of physical knowledge, as well as promotion of Polish science in the world.

The 'Culture' category, in turn, is a triumph for Wiesław Dudek, a Polish ballet dancer. In 2013, he was the first Pole to make a guest appearance with the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre ballet in the title role in the ballet "Onegin". The competition jury appreciated his contribution to making Polish dance famous all over the world.

The Polish Ambassador 2021 awards also included a Special Award. The National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra was honoured by Marcin Chludziński, President of KGHM. As he emphasised, "the copper company, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, and the orchestra, which dates back to pre-war times, have something in common - they are rooted in Polish history and have a broad presence in the world. Over the years, the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra has performed in over a hundred different countries.

The Audience Award was also granted. Voters in the KGHM plebiscite awarded this honour to Polish firemen fighting fires in Greece. This honoured the heroism and dedication of the Poles who assisted the Greek services in the difficult fight against the elements.

Due to pandemic restrictions, the Polish Ambassador 2020 gala did not take place. Awards were presented to the winners this year. In the category "Culture" the winner was the excellent composer and pianist Włodzimierz Pawlik. Paralympic Games medallist, athlete Lucyna Kornobys, became the Ambassador of Polish Sport 2020. In the "Science" category, the award went to Professor Maria Siemionow, an undisputed authority in the field of transplant and plastic surgery. The 2020 Audience Award was given to a police officer from Otwock who saved the life of an electrocuted man while on holiday in Croatia.