Antonio Rey on guitar and Antonio Mejías on cante. The last night of the phase opting for prizes of the 19th National Flamenco Art Contest produced the only two national prizes in this edition of the competition since in the deliberations following the fourth and last session of this final phase, where the two competed, the jury decided not to award the baile prize. Following this resolution, the Jerez-born guitarist’s name joins the prestigious lineup of maestros who have won the National Prize in the so-called “Contest of Contests”: Paco de Lucía, Manolo Sanlúcar, Vicente Amigo and Paco Peña, among others. At the same time, the Montilla-born cantaor joins great artists such as Fosforito, Antonio Mairena, El Pele, Bernarda and Fernanda de Utrera, and Mercé. Both will perform on Saturday, November 27th in the Final Gala, where they will receive a supporting diploma, a sculpture by Salamanca-born artist Venancio Blanco (winner of the 1959 National Sculpture Prize) and the 12,000 euros in prize-winnings. In turn, the finalists will receive a diploma and 2,000 euros. They are bailaores Inmaculada Aranda, La Chimi, David Romero and Adrián Sánchez; guitarists Salvador Gutiérrez, Niño Seve and Raul Mannola; and cantaores Aroa Cala, Sebastián Cruz and Niño de la Fragua.

Antonio Rey (Photo Daniel Muñoz)