The American Latvian Association is now accepting nominations for its annual awards of recognition for outstanding achievements in social and cultural work, the association announced May 28. The awards may go to organizations or individuals.

Nominations are due by Aug. 24 and will be reviewed by the association’s board during its September meeting. Awards traditionally are announced during local November 18 celebrations, according to Sarma Muižniece Liepiņa, head of the ALA’s office of cultural affairs.

Nominations should include detailed information about the candidate’s work and achievements, length of service and their meaning to the Latvian community. Awards are given for community leadership; for development of new and successful activities; for creativity in and maintenance of Latvian culture; for promotion of the survival of the Latvian people, and for popularizing Latvian culture and history to non-Latvians.

Nominations should be mailed to Sarma Muižniece Liepiņa, Director of the ALA Office of Cultural Affairs, 27 Highland Road, Boxford, MA 01921. Nominations also may be e-mailed to her at sarmaliepins@comcast.net. For further information, contact Muižniece Liepiņa at +1 (978) 352-6328, call the ALA office in Maryland at +1 (301) 340-1914, or visit the ALA’s Web site at www.alausa.org.

The ALA award of recognition may be earned just once in a person’s lifetime. A total of 33 awards were given in 2007. A list of previous winners is available on the ALA Web site, although Muižniece Liepiņa noted that some names may be missing. She asked that if someone knows a name is missing from the list that the ALA be contacted.

A commemorative 1-lat coin honoring Latvia’s song festival tradition, which began in 1873, has been released by the Bank of Latvia.

The silver coin became available May 23, the bank announced in a press release. The silver proof coin has a circulation of 10,000 and, while legal tender, will be marketed to collectors. A copper-nickel version, also limited to a circulation of 10,000, will be released in the second half of June before the July 5-12 All Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Rīga.

The coin was designed by Arvīds Priedīte and the plaster model made by Ligita Franckeviča. The averse features a woman in folk costume carrying Midsummer wildflowers. Behind her is a fragment of the folk song “Pūt, vējiņi.” The reverse depicts a man in folk costume carrying a crown of oak leaves. Behind him is a fragment of the choral song “Gaismas pils.” The edge of the coin has the text “Dziesmai šodien liela diena” (Today is a grand day for song).

The coin was minted by the Finnish company Rahapaja Oy.

A total of 5,000 copies of the silver proof coin are reserved for sale within Latvia. The price of the coin at the Bank of Latvia is LVL 22.50.

The song festival coin is the 60th commemorative piece released by the bank since 1995.

Pirates of the Sea, a costumed trio from Latvia singing “Wolves of the Sea,” took 12th place in the Eurovision Song Contest final May 24 in Belgrade, Serbia. Russia’s Dima Bilan, performing “Believe,” won the competition.

Pirates of the Sea includes Italian-born singer Roberto Meloni, radio and television moderator Jānis Vaišļa and dancer Aleksandra Kurusova. The song “Wolves of the Sea” was written by Jonas Liberg, Johan Sahlen, Claes Andreasson and Torbjörn Wassenius, all of Sweden.

Latvia received a total of 83 points. Russia earned 272. Ukraine, in the No. 2 spot, finished with 230 points, while No. 3 Greece had 218. The United Kingdom, with just 14 points, came in last in the field of 25 countries.

Points were based on the results of telephone and text-message voting in 45 nations, including almost all of Europe as well as Turkey and Israel. Each country awarded 12, 10 and then 8 through 1 points for its favorite songs. Voters are not allowed to pick their own country, but cultural, geographic and political ties often play a role in the results.

Latvia earned its only 12-point award from Ireland, where just like last year the tens of thousands of migrants from Latvia likely played a role in the results. Latvia also gained 10 points each from the United Kingdom and Baltic neighbor Lithuania.

Voters in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, meanwhile, gave their highest awards to Russia.

Bilan’s victory means next year’s Eurovision Song Contest will be hosted by Russia.