Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:
The Ministry of Culture announced today, Monday, the names of the winners ofState Awards for 2026This comes after the conclusion of voting activities in the Supreme Council of Culture, in various branches of arts, literature and social sciences.
The results were announced by Dr. Abdel Aziz Qansouh, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Acting Minister of Culture, and Dr. Ashraf Al-Azzazi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Culture.
The State Appreciation Awards include 10 awards, each worth 200,000 Egyptian pounds and a gold medal.
In the arts, the winners were artist Mohamed Sobhi, along with Professor Ahmed Fouad Hassan, Professor Elsayed Abdo Selim, and calligrapher Khodair Elborsaidi.
Dr. Abdel Aziz Qansouh emphasized that the State Awards represent the highest form of recognition that the Egyptian state grants to creators, thinkers and researchers, in appreciation of their contributions to enriching cultural, intellectual and scientific life, and to consolidating the role of culture in building the individual and strengthening national identity.
He added that the state, through these awards, is keen to honor those who give and create, and to consolidate the values of excellence and innovation, which contributes to supporting the cultural and intellectual movement, and motivating new generations to continue the path of creativity and scientific research.
The artist Mohamed Sobhi was born on March 3, 1948 in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. In his childhood, he was close to Mohamed Ali Street, which gave him the opportunity to enjoy theater and cinema.
Mohamed Sobhi graduated from the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts and made his way in the world of art and theater as an actor and director. After graduating in 1970, the institute's administration appointed him as a teaching assistant, but he did not want to stifle his talent by teaching.
He stood before acting giants on the stage
Mohamed Sobhi became famous for his small roles on stage, during which he stood in front of acting giants such as Hassan Youssef, Mahmoud El-Meligy and Fouad El-Mohandes.
In 1975, Mohamed Sobhi and Lenin El Ramly formed the “Studio 80” group, with the former devoting himself solely to the task of acting, while Lenin El Ramly took on the role of author and director.
In the same year, the two presented the play “The Lesson is Over, You Fool,” starring Mohamed Sobhi, and the show featured a selection of the leading actors of that time, most notably Mahmoud El-Meligy and Tawfiq El-Daqn.
In the world of theater, Sobhi presented 28 shows, including “Hello Shalaby”, “Hamlet”, “Ghazal Al Banat”, “Our Disappointment”, and on television he presented 13 series, most notably “A’elat Wanis”, “Sunbul Ba’d Al Million”, and “Fares Bela Jawad”.
On the big screen, Mohamed Sobhi starred in 26 films, including: “Al Karnak”, “Here is Cairo”, “Uncle Zizo”, “Agent No. 13“, ”The Devil Who Loved Me”, and ”Ali Bey Mazhar”.
Numerous awards
Throughout his career, Mohamed Sobhi has received many awards and honors. In 1999, he received the Golden Lion Award for Best Actor and Director, and in 2013 he received an honorary doctorate from the American College in California.
