Hijo Predilecto de Andalucía

The title of Hijo Predilecto de Andalucía ("Favorite Son of Andalusia") or in the case of a female recipient Hija Predilecta de Andalucía ("Favorite Daughter of Andalusia") is an honorific title granted annually on August 10 according to decree 156/1983 of the Andalusian Autonomous Government, recognizing exceptional merit or distinction in relation to the Andalusian region, through scientific, social or political actions or works that have redounded to the benefit of Andalusia. It is the highest distinction of the autonomous community of Andalusia.

The nature of the honor
The honor is granted by agreement of the Governing Council of the Andalusian Autonomous Government, based on names proposed by the President of the Government, passed on by the president's office, the Consejería de la Presidencia. The title is strictly honorific, and does not entail any award of money. The names of those given the title are written in a registry known as the Libro de Oro de Andalucía ("Golden Book of Andalusia"). A medal is awarded with the inscription Hijo Predilecto de Andalucía, along with a silver plaque stating the reason for granting the award in this particular case. Normally at most ten medals are awarded each year, although the Governing Council may make exceptions to that. (In practice, as of 2009 that number has never been reached.) That count does not include awards given as a courtesy or in reciprocity, nor does it include posthumous awards. The honor is awarded in a public and solemn ceremony presided over by the President of the Government, in the presence of the Governing Council, and if possible coinciding with the regional holiday, the Andalusia Day, 28 February. The honor can be revoked if the recipient behaves publicly in a manner counter to the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, the principles of the 1978 Constitution of Spain or the Statute of Autonomy of Andalusia, or prejudicial to the dignity of their basic interests.

List of Hijos Predilectos de Andalucía

 * 1983
 * Antonio Cruz García ("Antonio Mairena"), singer, Mairena del Alcor, Province of Seville
 * Rafael Alberti, writer, El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz
 * Vicente Aleixandre Merlo, writer, Seville
 * Jorge Guillén Álvarez, writer, Valladolid
 * Andrés Segovia, guitarist, Linares, Jaén
 * Ramón Carande y Thovar, historian and economist, Palencia, autonomous community of Castile-Leon


 * 1984
 * Juan Álvarez Ossorio y Barrau, historian, activist


 * 1985
 * Rafael Escuredo Rodríguez, lawyer and politician, Estepa, Seville
 * María Zambrano Alarcón, writer, Vélez-Málaga, Málaga
 * Antonio Gala Velasco, writer, Brazatortas, Ciudad Real
 * Carlos Castilla del Pino, psychiatrist, San Roque, Cádiz
 * Antonio Domínguez Ortiz, historian, Seville


 * 1987
 * José Antonio Valverde Gómez, zoologist
 * Manuel Andújar, writer, La Carolina, Jaén
 * Juan de Mata Carriazo


 * 1988
 * Emilio García Gómez, historian specializing in Arabism, Madrid
 * Manuel Castillo Navarro, composer and pianist, Seville
 * Manuel Rivera Hernández, painter, Granada
 * Pablo García Baena, poet, Córdoba
 * José Manuel Rodríguez Delgado, physician and neurophysiologist, Málaga


 * 1989
 * Rafael Montesinos Martínez, poet, Seville, Seville
 * José Muñoz Caballero, painter, Huelva
 * Luis Rosales Camacho, poet, Granada, Granada


 * 1990
 * Javier Benjumea Puigcerver, businessman, founder of Abengoa, Seville
 * Dolores Jiménez Alcántara "Niña de La Puebla", singer, La Puebla de Cazalla, Seville
 * Francisco Ayala y García Duarte, writer, Granada, Granada


 * 1991
 * José Rodríguez de la Borbolla y Camoyán, lawyer and politician, Seville, Seville


 * 1992
 * José Antonio Muñoz Rojas, poet, Antequera, Málaga, Málaga


 * 1993
 * Manuel Losada Villasante, scientist, Carmona, Seville


 * 1994
 * S.A.R. Doña María de las Mercedes de Borbón y Orleans, mother of the King Juan Carlos, Madrid


 * 1995
 * Miguel Rodríguez-Piñero Bravo-Ferrer, jurist, professor, magistrate and president of the Constitutional Court of Spain, Seville, Seville


 * 1996
 * José Manuel Caballero Bonald, poet and essayist, Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Cádiz


 * 1997
 * No award given.


 * 1998
 * Felipe González Márquez, lawyer and politician, Dos Hermanas, Seville, Seville


 * 1999
 * Manuel F. Clavero Arévalo, lawyer and politician, Seville, Seville


 * 2000
 * Carlos Amigo Vallejo, Archbishop of Seville, Medina de Rioseco, Valladolid


 * 2001
 * Carlos Cano (singer-songwriter), songwriter, Granada, Granada. (Posthumous.)
 * Pedro Cruz Villalón, president of the Constitutional Court of Spain, Seville, Seville


 * 2002
 * Manuel Jiménez de Parga, president of the Tribunal Constitucional, Granada, Granada


 * 2003
 * Emilio Lledó Íñigo, professor of philosophy, Seville, Seville
 * Christine Ruiz-Picasso, daughter-in-law of Pablo Picasso, philanthropist, Paris, France


 * 2004
 * Francisco Márquez Villanueva, professor of medieval literature, Seville, Seville
 * Leopoldo de Luis, poet, Córdoba, Córdoba


 * 2005
 * María Victoria Atencia García, poet, Málaga, Málaga
 * Julia Uceda Valiente, poet, literary critic, and professor of literature, Seville, Seville


 * 2006
 * María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 18th Duchess of Alba, (Madrid)
 * Carlos Edmundo de Ory, poet, Cádiz, Cádiz


 * 2007
 * José Saramago, writer, Azinhaga, Portugal


 * 2008
 * Federico Mayor Zaragoza, former rector of the University of Granada, former director general of UNESCO. Barcelona, autonomous community of Catalonia


 * 2009
 * Juan Antonio Carrillo Salcedo, Doctor of Laws at the University of Seville, expert in international law, Morón de la Frontera, Seville


 * 2013
 * Antonio Banderas, actor
 * Manuel José García Caparrós, syndicalist (posthumous)
 * Carmen Laffón de la Escosura, painter

Hijos Predilectos
 * 2017
 * María Galiana
 * Luis García Montero

2018
 * José Luis Gómez García
 * Guillermo Antiñolo Gil

Acceptance speeches
Most of the recipients of the award come with a prepared acceptance speech. Politician Felipe González broke somewhat with this tradition in 1998 when he gave part of his speech extemporaneously; writer José Saramago in 2007 gave an entirely improvised speech. During his speech his medal fell to the floor and he had to stoop to recover it. He then continued, "This could be resolved with a Latin proverb, Sic transit gloria mundi, which gained him a round of applause.