Young artists from five countries were awarded in a literary competition against drugs in Burgas.

In this year's edition of the International Literary Competition "Art Against Drugs" Burgas 2025, 74 young creators from Bulgaria, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany and Serbia participated. The jury members: Rosa Boyanova, Nikolai Ferenski and Slavi Tomov awarded 12 authors in two age categories and nominated 6 more for participation in the traditional anthology "Art Against Drugs" 2025.

In the first age group (14-17 years), for a poem, the first prize was awarded to Samra Tombarevic, 16, from Bar, Montenegro, for the poem "The Path of Art - The Path of Freedom", the second prize - to Mehmed Nuri, 16, from Burgas, Bulgaria, for the poem "I Choose the Light", and the third prize - to Elitsa Yaneva, 18, from Yambol, Bulgaria, for the impression "My veins like highways, and I - a driver without brakes". For an essay or story, the first prize was won by Maraya Milanova, 19, from Sofia, Bulgaria, for the story "Broken Cap", the second prize - to Indzhiya (Almir) Ferizović, 18, from Rožaje, Montenegro, for the story "The Painting", and the third prize - to Deya Dineva, 17, from Yambol, Bulgaria, for the story "Seven Days (Un)Happiness".

In the second age group (18-25 years), for a poem, the first prize was awarded to Emina Tanović, 19, from Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the poem "Crisis of Meaning", the second prize - to Aleksandra Ivanova, 18, from Yambol, Bulgaria, for the poem "Poisoned Touch", and the third prize - to Vasey Traoure, 20, from Bremen, Germany, for poetic prose "The Feeling of Forgetting". For an essay or story, the first prize was won by Dejan Marinković, 36, from Užice, Serbia, for the essay "Art", the second prize - to Vanesa Ivanova, 18, from Yambol, Bulgaria, for the story "The New Beginning", and the third prize - to Dimana Stoyanova, 18, from Nesebar, Bulgaria, for the story "Between Love and Hatred".

Nominated for participation in the anthology "Art Against Drugs" 2025 Burgas are: Stefaniya Stefanova, 17, from Kardzhali, Bulgaria, for the essay "Temptation or Escape", Lyubomira Mincheva, 24, from Varna, Bulgaria, for the essay "When We Come to This World", Natali Atanasova, 18, from Yambol, Bulgaria, for the story "Too Quiet", Tom Scheinflugg, 25, from Bonn, Germany, for the story "The Whale Hunters", Yavor Guglev, 18, from Yambol, Bulgaria, for the poem "Last Meeting", and Sergey Khoroshulia, 19, from Burgas, Bulgaria, for the poem "Vivir" - a special nomination for a work in Spanish.

The prize fund is provided by the donation of institutions, businesses, health and social organizations, and private donors, who personally present the awards to the winners of the competition. All participants will receive an electronic certificate, the nominees will receive a diploma, and the winners will receive a diploma and a cash prize. The nominees and winners will also receive the "Art Against Drugs" 2025 booklet with the best works, published with the financial support of the Municipal Council on Narcotic Substances of the Municipality of Burgas. The awards will be presented on June 27, 2025, at 11 a.m. in the "Petya Dubrova" Hall of the Burgas Cultural Center "Sea Casino".

In 2018, the "Lyuben Karavelov 1940" community center became the recipient of the prestigious award of the Ministry of Culture and the "Agora" Platform - the "Art and Culture for Development" prize for its achievements in organizing the International Literary Competition "Art Against Drugs".