| Martín Fierro Awards | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best in film and radio |
| Presented by | APTRA |
| Country | Argentina |
| First awarded | 1959 |
| Official website | http://www.aptra.org.ar/ |
Martín Fierro is the name of the most prominent awards for Argentine radio and television, granted by APTRA, the Association of Argentine Television and Radio Journalists. The awards were first given in 1959, limited to television. The next year, the awards adopted its current name, after José Hernández' epic poem Martín Fierro (considered by some as the national epic of Argentina). It was embodied on a statuette of a gaucho, by sculptor Luis Perlotti, weighing over 2 kilograms (4 lb).[1] Before 1967, all awards were given to Buenos Aires' media, but nowadays there is a special rotating venue, honoring the winners from the Provinces.
Because of the censorship and persecution of artists carried over during the 1976-83 military dictatorship, the membership of APTRA dwindled and the awards were suspended. It was not until 1988 that a newer edition was granted. Since 1990, it has also included special productions for cable networks and -in 1992- the Golden Martín Fierro was added to honor the "best among the best ones".
In 1991 APTRA created a special award, the Golden Martín Fierro award. It is given to a single person or production in the annual ceremony, and it's intended as a prize to trajectory or to outstanding quality. The first winner was the host show "Fax", and the most recent one the TV series Tratame bien. A second main prize, the Platinum Martín Fierro Award, was added in 2009, per the 50th anniversary of APTRA. The first winner of it was Mirtha Legrand.