When seven-year-old Halyna Dubok cried, hundreds of other eyes also filled with tears. The girl became emotional while belting out the ballad “Life Goes On” from the Yearly Ukrainian National Awards (YUNA) ceremony. Needless to say, her performance was the highlight of the evening.
Ukraine’s own version of the Grammys, YUNA was special this year. While many other entertainment events were cancelled due to the political crisis that has rocked the country for more than four months, the show went on March 25.
See more photos from YUNA ceremony
In front of a full house at the Palace Ukraine, the best performers and musicians of 2013 sang, danced and then were awarded angel statuettes for their artistic accomplishments.
The event did not come without controversy, though. Some artists chose not to attend, citing the crisis in Crimea. The nominee in the Best Female Vocal category, pop singer Svitlana Loboda, was among those who did not show at the awards, saying now is not the time for red carpets.
The award went to her competitor, Tina Karol. Karol, who lost her husband to cancer last year, accepted the award gladly, saying “it was all for him.”
Singer Kamaliya, who is also the wife of YUNA organizer and Kyiv Post publisher Mohammad Zahoor, took at jab at Loboda, saying she didn’t attend out of fear of losing to Karol in the category. Last year, the singer recalled, Karol didn’t attend for allegedly similar reasons.
“Zahoor invests a lot of money so that jury could award the performers for their good job, but they are hiding. How hard would it be for Grammy organizers if stars would act the same?” Kamaliya wrote on Facebook on March 18.
Ukrainian band Okean Elzy and its frontman Sviatoslav Vakarchuk were victorious, winning four awards, including Best Band. Okean Elzy also did not attend – but because of scheduling issues. The band was performing in Warsaw the same night. Vakarchuk thanked the organizers in a video message.
Still, it wasn’t Okean Elzy which got the loudest applause of the night, but the award presenters – the Ukrainian women’s biathlon team, holders of two Sochi Olympics gold medals.
In between the award presentations, the YUNA stage welcomed performances by Ukrainian music stars, some of which dedicated their act to the heroes of EuroMaidan. Pop star Maks Barskikh, who sang “I Will Keep Your Heart,” was one of them.
While performers made dedications to activists, presenters poked fun at politicians.
“Boombox predicted the future of Ukrainian politicians when they named their song “Terminal B,” said ceremony host Potap, hinting at former President Viktor Yanukovych and his allies who hastily fled Ukraine in February.
Famous pop performer Verka Serduchka, who complained about having blistered feet due to uncomfortable shoes, after entering the stage in a wheelchair – a clear reference to Yulia Tymoshenko’s first appearance at EuroMaidan following her release from prison.
Political sarcasm soon gave way to personal jabs when Potap called singer and songwriter Vlad Darvin the follower of biologist Charles Darwin.
“Vlad is working on natural selection as well. He selects and steals songs of other authors,” said Potap. A confused Darvin simply looked on, awkwardly forcing out a smile.
YUNA ceremony will be broadcast by Inter TV at 10:30 p.m. on March 29.
