The Artium Museum in Vitoria-Gasteiz was the venue for the 2026 Lazarraga Awards ceremony held this afternoon. In its ninth edition, the awards honoured five companies, organisations, and individuals from Álava who have integrated euskera into their daily activities, client relations, and internal processes.
The Bai Euskarari Elkarte, supported by the Álava Provincial Council and as part of the Lanabes project, organises these awards to celebrate those at the forefront of linguistic normalisation in the region's workplace.
Among the attendees were several officials, including Álava's General Deputy, Ramiro González; the Deputy for Equality, Euskera, and Governance, Iñaki Gurtubai; and Haizea Muñoa, a representative of the Bai Euskarari association. They presented trophies to the five winners of this year's awards:
- Garagart: This craft beer project from Vitoria-Gasteiz has embraced euskera as a core part of its identity since its inception, centralising it in both production and customer relations. Since 2024, they have held the Bai Euskarari Certificate at the "Zerbitzua Euskaraz" (Service in euskera) level, and from 2025, they operate their own brewery in the city.
- Azala Kreazio Espazioa: Located in Lasierra, this space combines contemporary creation with rural accommodation, merging bodily expression, art, and thought. Since its establishment, it has employed euskera as its primary working language and has held the Bai Euskarari Certificate at the "Euskararen bidean" (On the path of euskera) level since 2018.
- Lizarralde Soinua: This sound company, which facilitates live performances and cultural initiatives, obtained the Bai Euskarari Certificate in 2005. Last year, its team of three achieved the highest accreditation level, "Zerbitzua eta Lana euskaraz" (Service and work in euskera).
- I+MED: This cooperative, which researches, develops, and markets high-value-added pharmaceutical and health products, has demonstrated that it is possible to operate excellently in euskera within the technological and scientific sectors. In 2025, it received the Harrobi diploma.
- Iraitz Perez de Goldarazena: The General Director of Oreka IT was awarded for prioritising euskera in his professional career and for exemplary promotion of the language.
The event featured a performance by juggler NAI, who used his act as a metaphor to remind attendees that euskera, like juggling, requires attention and balance.
In her opening remarks, Haizea Muñoa, representing the Bai Euskarari Elkartea, expressed gratitude to the Álava Provincial Council and collaborators of the Lanabes project, noting that these awards were established in 2010 to recognise models that promote euskera in the workplace. Ramiro González concluded the event, emphasising the need to strengthen the use of euskera in the professional sphere and thanking the winners for incorporating the language into their daily activities.
