Carlos Acosta Receives Lord Mayor Award as Director of Birmingham Ballet

June 6, 2025

Cuban dancer and choreographer Carlos Acosta, who directs the Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB), received the Lord Mayor award this Thursday in recognition of his work leading the dance company and his exceptional contributions to that city in the United Kingdom.

The also director and founder of the Acosta Danza company expressed through his Facebook profile that he felt "deeply honored" by the presentation of the award, according to the Prensa Latina (PL) agency.

In his acceptance speech, Acosta also thanked the support provided by the city's mayor to the BRB.

"I would like to thank former Lord Mayor Councillor Ken Wood on behalf of all of the BRB, for the two awards that recognize our company's contribution to the people of this great city and to promote Birmingham throughout the United Kingdom and abroad," he said.

"I would also like to thank him for his extraordinary support of the company during the past year, and the great interest shown in all the work we do on stage and in our communities," he added, as cited by the media.

Acosta took advantage of the awards ceremony to offer the warmest of welcomes to the incoming Lord Mayor Councillor, Zafar Iqbal, and to the city's mayor, Farooq Akhtar.

The publication notes that the Lord Mayor award recognizes outstanding achievements or exceptional service to the city and the inhabitants of Birmingham. 

According to its criteria, "it is not awarded simply for good work or for having reached a specific level, it recognizes those who have gone the extra mile".

It is also deserved by those who drive the improvement of Birmingham's reputation or public opinion of the city, for making a difference or improving the lives of a large number of people in that locality.

Another requirement is to represent outstanding examples of selfless service to that English city and its citizens, as well as to demonstrate great moral courage and loyalty to the city and its inhabitants.

The Lord Mayor award further strengthens Carlos Acosta's prestige in the artistic landscape of the United Kingdom, where recently Acosta Danza was nominated as Best Medium-Format Dance Company for that country's national dance awards.

It is the third occasion that the group has been selected among the best presented in that nation. 

Four years ago it won in the category of best independent company, which brings together those that maintain stable work, without belonging to the circle of companies subsidized by the State, Government, or any British government institution.

The winners of the National Dance Awards, organized every year by the Dance Section of the Critics' Circle, will be announced on June 9 next in London.