The award for Best Performance at the 34th edition of the UNITER Awards Gala went to 'Long Day's Journey into Night' by Eugene O'Neill, directed by Timofei Kuliabin and produced by the Radu Stanca National Theatre, during a ceremony held Monday evening at the Majestic Hall of the Odeon Theatre in Bucharest.

The distinction was handed to Sibiu theatre director and actor Constantin Chiriac by set designer Dragos Buhagiar and actress Rodica Mandache.

'I saw three of the nominated productions. I don't know how they managed to choose the best one. They are all very good. The award for Best Performance goes to 'Long Day's Journey into Night',' Rodica Mandache announced.

The 34th edition of the UNITER Awards Gala was also attended by Bucharest mayor Ciprian Ciucu.

'Culture is so important to our identity and sense of belonging. Of course it matters,' Ciucu said.

The Best Director Award - the 'Lucian Pintilie' Prize - was won by Radu Afrim for directing 'The House Between the Apartment Blocks', produced by the Targu-Mures National Theatre - 'Tompa Miklos' Company. The award was presented by actress Emilia Popescu.

'I thank this wonderful company - 'Tompa Miklos', the National Theatre in Targu-Mures - which welcomed me so warmly so many times. I wrote for them, for their voices, their eyes, their bodies, their souls. I created what you call characters; I call them people. (...) I am going to do something I never thought I would do: give some advice to younger people. Speak only about the things that truly hurt you, the things that truly bring you joy, because only then will you be happy, fulfilled, and make audiences happy as well. And please, do not allow yourselves to be seduced by any extremist ideology in this world,' Radu Afrim said.

Awards presented at the gala included:

* Best Debut - Larisa Popa for directing 'This Cursed Place' by Anamaria Feraru and Ruxandra Simion, produced by the Replika Educational Theatre Centre in Bucharest;

* Best Radio Theatre Production - 'The Window That Could Not Sleep' by Selma Dragos, radio adaptation and direction by Mihnea Chelaru, produced by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation;

* Best Set Design - Oana Micu for the set design of 'The Cherry Orchard' by Anton Chekhov, directed by Andrei Majeri and produced by the Constanta State Theatre;

* Best Supporting Actor - Tibor Palffy for the role of Jean in 'Rhinoceros' by Eugene Ionesco, directed by Laszlo Bocsardi;

* Best Supporting Actress - Alexandra Caras for her role in 'Flower Hill' by Calita Nantu, directed by Mark Christopher Demeter;

* Best Actor in a Leading Role - Nicu Mihoc for the role of Edmund Tyrone in 'Long Day's Journey into Night';

* Best Actress in a Leading Role - Catalina Mihai for the role of Janis in 'Club 27', written by Catalina Mihai and directed by Alex Bogdan.

* The Best Theatre Critic Award - the 'George Banu' Prize - went to Kinga Boros for her multicultural critical analyses of theatre in Transylvania.

Special awards were presented to: SI Festival - the fifth edition of the theatre and film festival organised by the Serban Ionescu Association - for creating a space for artistic expression and cultural identity in the seaside locality of 2 Mai; Teatrul de Arta Bucuresti - for resilience and dedication to independent culture, marking 15 years of activity in 2025; Marin Sorescu National Theatre - on the occasion of 175 years devoted to Romanian culture; Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre - celebrating 185 years of history, tradition and continuity.

Lifetime achievement awards were presented to actress Catrinel Dumitrescu, actor Marius Bodochi, director Tompa Gabor, scenographer Marie-Jeanne Lecca and theatre critic Marina Constantinescu.

The 'Ion Caramitru' Excellence Award was presented to ACT Theatre, described as Romania's first independent theatre and a symbol of artistic value and dignity in Romanian culture for more than 25 years. The distinction was received by actor Marcel Iures, founder and president of the theatre, together with the ACT Theatre team.

The UNITER President's Award was presented to ARCUB and received by its manager Mihaela Paun.

Veteran actor Victor Rebengiuc received the 'UNITER Tribute' distinction for his outstanding and long career. The award was presented by UNITER president and scenographer Dragos Buhagiar together with UNITER vice-president Aura Corbeanu.

'When we are born, we have our natural parents. Throughout life, we have the chance to choose our cultural parents, and for several generations you have truly been a spiritual father. (...) On behalf of the Union, I thank you deeply because, when dark clouds gathered over our Union and many chose to hide, you defended UNITER without hesitation,' Dragos Buhagiar told Rebengiuc.

Victor Rebengiuc confessed that 'it has been a long journey' and said he belonged to a generation that meant a great deal for Romanian theatre.

'I met - and perhaps this will surprise some people - extraordinary individuals who helped me enormously throughout my career, beginning with Vlad Mugur, then Mrs Bulandra, and before all of them my teacher, Aura Buzescu. After that came Ciulei, Pintilie, Vlad Mugur again, Radu Penciulescu and many others over nearly 70 years of career, a career that has now passed. I am resting now, that is all. I came here, answered the roll call, thank you for the award and I hope to meet my former colleagues again soon. I belong to a generation that meant a great deal for Romanian theatre. The class of 1956 was called - I never felt comfortable saying this myself, but that is what people called it - the Golden Generation. So I hope to meet them all there. I am the last of that generation still speaking into a microphone,' Rebengiuc said.

Hosted during the UNITER Awards Gala, the British Council Award went to 'Supernormali', a production blending black comedy and raw realism to explore the condition of people with disabilities.

Among those who announced and presented awards were Doina Levintza, Ada Solomon, Alexandrina Halic, Tudor Cucu Dumitrescu, Mirela Oprisor, Magda Catone, Lucian Ionescu, Odeon Theatre director Emil Banea, Razvan Mazilu and Catrinel Dumitrescu.

The jury of the 2026 UNITER Awards Gala consisted of scenographer Cosmin Florea, actor Iulian Postelnicu, director Bobi Pricop, theatre critic Miruna Runcan and actress Andrea Tokai.

One of the surprises of this year's edition was the extraordinary appearance on the UNITER Gala stage of countertenor Valer Sabadus, an internationally acclaimed German musician of Romanian origin.

The concept for this year's UNITER Awards Gala show was created by choreographer and dancer Razvan Mazilu together with scenographer Dragos Buhagiar. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Petronius Craiu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)