The Arnošt Lustig Prize is awarded annually to one of the living Czech citizens who, in a similar way to Arnošt Lustig, has contributed to the maintenance and development of societal values, such as courage and bravery, humanity and justice. The award is not focused primarily on the field of art or science, ie on areas that are currently receiving a lot of attention in general.

One of the main goals of the award is to promote these values ​​at all levels and areas of life in Czech society. The winner is selected on the basis of the mentioned values ​​by the jury – the Arnošt Lustig Award Committee – composed of leading figures of Czech culture, politics and science, chaired by prof. Jan Pirk.

Historically, the first winner of the Arnošt Lustig Award for 2011, which received an extraordinary media and social response, was the Bishop of Prague, Mons. Vaclav Maly. The second winner of the Award, for 2012, was Mrs Kamila Moučková. The third award for 2013 was ceremoniously accepted by Mr Bedřich Utitz, a retired captain. Petr Sýkora, the co-founder of the Dobrý Anděl Foundation, was elected the fourth laureate in 2014. The writer Jiří Stránský was awarded the fifth jubilee laureate in 2015. Leading Czech dissident and chartist Dana Němcová became the winner of 2016. The winner for 2017 was Mr Paul Rausnitz, a Czech-American businessman of Jewish origin who fled his native Czechoslovakia from the Nazis and Communists and took part in the liberation of Czechoslovakia during World War II. Brigadier General Karel Řehka was elected the eighth winner of the Arnošt Lustig Award in 2018. During his military career, he was deployed on foreign missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan, he focuses on the theory of armed conflict and hybrid warfare. The award for 2019 was not handed over due to a pandemic. The Czech Abdominal and Thoracic Surgeon received the Arnošt Lustig Award for 2020, Professor Pavel Pafko.

The awards ceremony of the Arnošt Lustig Prize is traditionally held on the premises of the Mayor’s Residence. of the City of Prague, with the extraordinary attention of important personalities of Czech public life and the media. The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic has held the position of Chairman of the Honorary Committee of the Arnošt Lustig Award for all its years. The main media partners are traditionally Czech Television and Czech Radio.

The Arnošt Lustig Award was established in 2011 by the Czech-Israeli Mixed Chamber of Commerce in support of the legacy of Arnošt Lustig, a world-class writer, and a prominent figure in Czech social life and a longtime honorary member of the Czech-Israeli Mixed Chamber of Commerce. In his work, Arnošt Lustig dealt with the topic of the Holocaust, which he himself experienced in his youth.
he focused primarily on uncovering the inner strength of man, which allows him to maintain human dignity and moral values ​​even in situations of extreme danger. He tried to find what makes a man a man, a man better, happier. His unforgettable personality, even after his death, represents a standard of morality, courage and humanity. These values ​​are so important in every society and at all times.