‘Social without polarizing’: Wina Ricardo wins Amsterdam’s Kleinkunst Festival Sonneveld Prize 2025

The prize that according to the presenter of the final of the Amsterdam Kleinkunst Festival was all about, the AKF Sonneveldprijs 2025, was won on Saturday evening by Wina Ricardo (1987). She won the jury prize of the 38th edition of the talent competition. The jury saw in her « an important new sound on the Dutch stages » and praised her « special gift to make social themes negotiable without polarizing or making substantive concessions ».

Ricardo-a late bloomer who started a few years ago after having received a comedy course for her birthday-convinced with an engaging stand-up performance. It was nice to look at Ricardo, who radiated a lot of energy and tranquility at the same time. In her performance she focused on different types of inequality.

For example, she told how the story about the early eighties stabbed 15-year-old Kerwin Lucas made a deep impression on her father. The black boy had responded to racist comments from a skinhead, with fatal consequences. For fear that something similar would happen to his black daughter, Ricardo’s father always said: « If someone is racist, you will not go through it, but around it. » In her performance, Ricardo came to the conclusion that this is not the right way.

Minister Marjolijn Faber also received support from an unexpected corner when Ricardo raised that criticism of women is often packaged in commentary on appearance. Give your criticism differently, according to Ricardo: « Marjolijn does not lead the country with her hairstyle, lipstick, pants (…). No, with her policy. And her policy is ugly. »

Public prize

Ivar van der Walle (1998) was rightly won. The jury rewarded his song program with the incentive prize (the ‘Shaffy Check’ made available by the Ramses Shaffy Fund) and the majority of the public voices earned him the audience prize. Van der Walle made a great impression with both his voice and guitar playing. He also treated a number of Haikus (« halfway to half Haiku / half it is poetry / the rest is beef »). Van der Walle came up with beautiful language finds, but some (song) texts were very enigmatic.

It was particularly remarkable that the third finalist, the duo De Broers van Arkel, had to return homeless home. Brothers Jeroen and Martijn played an intriguing performance about the approaching pension of their pastor’s father. His great dedication to church and Holy Spirit has left traces of his other sons, was apparent from a strong and original tragicomic act. The nicely acting brothers showed that the best jokes are often in apparently small things: the way someone looks, moves or stands. You sometimes have to look well for that.

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