By Kazakhstan, 13th Jun 2025 — The winners of the 8th annual Freedom Ticketon Awards, Kazakhstan’s premier national award in culture, arts, and sports, were celebrated in Almaty in a newly updated format. This year’s ceremony featured an overhauled voting structure and a renewed focus on digital technologies, transparency, and accessibility for a wider audience.
Winners were recognized across 27 categories within six main fields: cinema, concerts, theater, visual art, children’s projects, and science & impact. The total prize fund amounted to 58 million KZT. In addition to monetary prizes, the awardees also received promotional support on the Freedom Ticketon platform to amplify their projects.
Almaty: The Cultural Capital of Central Asia
Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest metropolis with a population of over 2 million, once again hosted the event. The city has long established itself as the cultural and events capital of the region, annually welcoming hundreds of concerts, exhibitions, theatrical performances, and festivals. Its vibrant creative scene made it the perfect setting to honor the country’s top talents in the creative industries.
New Voting System and a Professional Approach
This year, the organizers implemented a three-stage voting process:
- Public Voting took place from March 3 to April 16 and collected over 142,000 votes.
- Nominee Voting allowed shortlisted participants to vote for one another (excluding themselves) for the first time.
- Organizing Committee Voting, composed of recognized media and cultural experts.
Each voting phase carried a specific weight: 50 points were awarded to the leader of the public vote, 15 points for each vote from the organizing committee, and 5 points per nominee vote. An independent auditing firm handled vote counting under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), ensuring fairness and confidentiality.
Azamat Ashimov Joins the Organizing Committee for the Third Year
Actor, TV host, and media producer Azamat Ashimov (instagram @azamat_ashimov) played a key role in organizing this year’s awards. A member of the organizing committee for the third consecutive year, Ashimov contributed to the transformation of the award by helping to develop the new voting model, selecting jury members, and ensuring procedural integrity.
With his deep understanding of the media landscape and commitment to cultural development, Ashimov continues to elevate the Freedom Ticketon Awards as a credible and respected platform for recognizing Kazakhstan’s creative talent.
Victoria Torgunakova, CEO of Freedom Ticketon and Chair of the Organizing Committee, highlighted Ashimov’s contribution:
“Azamat is one of the most reliable and forward-thinking members of our team. His professionalism, high standards, and nuanced understanding of the cultural sphere make his involvement truly valuable. Thanks to people like him, the Ticketon Awards continue to evolve and remain relevant and respected across the country.”
Digital Broadcast and Unscripted Reactions
The award ceremony took place at the A. Kasteyev State Museum of Arts and was simultaneously livestreamed nationwide. Winners were not informed in advance — they received surprise calls live during the broadcast.
Audiences witnessed genuine reactions from the laureates — from tears of joy to celebratory calls with entire theater troupes during rehearsals. For instance, when world-renowned artist Dimash Kudaibergen won “Concert of the Year,” it was his father, Kanat Aitbayev, who appeared on the live stream to proudly accept the award on his behalf.
Highlights and Winners
Select winners included:
- Film of the Year — The Verdict, a Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan drama
- Actor of the Year — Dauren Sergazin
- ART Installation of the Year — A tribute to Viktor Tsoi
- Theater Production of the Year (Private Theaters) — The Mistress by Interius Theater
The full list of winners is available on Instagram: @ticketonkz
Legacy and Looking Ahead
To close the ceremony, Victoria Torgunakova announced the launch of a new cultural initiative: the creation of Almaty’s first public mural in collaboration with the REPAS art collective and the city administration. The mural will honor the city’s role in the origins of Kazakh cinema.
“Almaty is the birthplace of Kazakh cinema. We want to preserve this cultural legacy in a public art piece — a gift to the city,” said Torgunakova.
Media Contact
Organization: Tabpro Solutions, Inc.
Contact Person: Yerbol Baimencheyev
Website: https://www.tabprosolutions.com/
Email: Send Email
Country:Kazakhstan
Release id:28995
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