The Jury for the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts 2000, convened in Oviedo, comprising Álvaro Fernández Villaverde, Guillermo García Alcalde, Manuel Gómez de Pablos González, Luis Hernando, Rosa María Malet, Manuel Martín Ferrand, María Teresa Ocaña, Benigno Pendás García, Juan Ramón Pérez Las Clotas, Ana Rodríguez Navarro, Rodrigo Uría Meruéndano, Amelia Valcárcel, chaired by José Lladó Fernández-Urrutia and with José Antonio Caicoya as secretary, has decided by majority vote to grant the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts 2000 to the North American soprano Barbara Hendricks, who has put her prodigious voice to use in opera, concerts, jazz and popular music and has, at the same time, made her voice heard world-wide in defence of refugees and against xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance. Her artistic talent, together with these actions, are a fine example of the commitment of Art towards Society.

Oviedo, 7th June 2000