Marqués de Lozoya Cultural Research Award

Since the creation of this competition, which bears the name of Don Juan Contreras y López de Ayala, Marquis of Lozoya, for his interest in popular culture, the different names assigned to the competition have accompanied the convergence taking place on a scientific and academic level among the studies of Popular Arts and Traditions and Anthropology.

It started out being called the Marqués de Lozoya National Craftsmansip Award to reward research into crafts production in the towns and villages of Spain, but in 1984 the decision was made to extend its subject matter and its name was changed to Marqué de Lozoya National Award for Research into Popular Arts and Customs, a title it retained until 1994.

The variety of subject matters in the works presented was also accompanied by important changes in the methods used. The research focused more on the sociocultural aspects that contextualize the phenomena contemplated, it went beyond mere description and sought explanations for the different ways of life and thinking that characterize the different cultures of Spain. In short, theoretical and methodological approaches, systems, contents and objectives innate to the anthropological science, leading in 1994 to the current name of the competition.

From 1992, the Museum was responsible for the publication and organisation of this award as well as the publication of the award-winning works.