AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS FOR LOJZE SLAK'S MUSICAL WORKS

Lojze Slak has received numerous domestic and foreign awards for his musical creativity.

In the homeland, in addition to gold medals for sold copies of records and cassettes and musical awards such as the Golden Rooster, Golden Heron, Slovenian Nightingale, Ladder of home songs and Victors, the greatest recognition was certainly given to him by the President of the Republic of Slovenia: Honorary badge of freedom of the Republic of Slovenia.

Among the foreign awards, however, are certainly the biggest awards: the European American Music Awards, the Canadian Edmonton Society Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award given by the US state of Ohio and many other awards from America, Canada and Australia.

MOST PROMINENT AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS:

1966 - Jugoton Publishing House bestowed Lojze Slak with the first large Silver Record for 50,000 records sold.

1969 - Jugoton publishing house gave to Lojze Slak Ensemble a plaquette for the first million records sold. Their album Kadar pa mim' hišce grem, has surprisingly and quickly, reached over 100,000 copies sold. The Lojze Slak Ensemble also received the first golden award for it.

In March 1969, one of the most popular songs, Po dekle, was released.  Jugoton has rewarded the Lojze Slak Ensemble with a Golden Heron award for one million records sold.

1969 - In the competition of the Antena magazine, the Lojze Slak Ensemble strongly won in the category of folk entertainment ensembles and receives Helidon's Golden Swallow award.

1971 - In the competition of the STOP magazine:  "Three times most", the Lojze Slak Ensemble was chosen as the best and and the most popular group of folk music, and the singing group Fantje s Praprotna as the most popular vocal group.

1972 - The Lojze Slak Ensemble received recognition from Australian Slovenians in memory of their tour to Australia.

1974 - Helidon Publishing house awarded the group with a Golden Record for 100,000 large records sold and Jugoton Publishing House a special Golden Record for 350,000 large records sold, as well as many other awards.

1976 -  The ensemble of Lojze Slak won the »Crown of popularity« after the listeners vote on the scale of popularity of the magazine Stop, and the ZKP RTV Ljubljana publishing house awarded the ensemble with Golden Cassette the same year.

1979 - The Lojze Slak Ensemble received a Golden Cassette from the RTV Ljubljana Cassette and Record publishing house.

1979 - Lojze Slak's ensemble received recognition from the Helidon publishing house - the second Golden Record. From the ZKP RTV Ljubljana publishing house they also received the second Golden Cassette. They have also received the second Golden Award of the Society of Paraplegics of Slovenia.

1980 - Mayor of Cleveland City submited to Lojze Slak the city's Golden Key and the Charter of honorary citizen.

1981 - Helidon publishing house awarded the Lojze Slak Ensemble with eight Golden Records for the successful sale of their compositions in recent years. They have also received the 10th Golden Record from the Helidon publishing house and they marked this award in the title of their new record: "Ten times Golden Slaks".

1984 - The ensemble's 20th anniversary was marked by the twice-sold-out Tivoli Hall in Ljubljana, numerous awards and recognitions, and two Golden Records. The Lojze Slak ensemble has received a total of fourteen Golden Records from the Helidon and Jugoton publishing houses so far.

1986 - Helidon publishing house awarded the Lojze Slak Ensemble the thirteenth Golden Record at a celebration in the Tabor hall in Maribor and, as the first music group in Slovenia, the Platinum Record for a million records sold.

1993 - RTV Slovenia Cassette and Record publishing house awarded the first Golden Videotape to the Lojze Slak Ensemble.

1993 - Helidon awarded the ensemble with a Diamond Record for three million records sold.

1993 - The American Academy of Music (National Academy of Recording Arts) awarded Lojze Slak with their highest award - Grammy.

1994 - The Diatonic Accordion Club from the USA and Canada awarded Lojze Slak for popularizing this instrument on this continent.

1994 - Lojze Slak was named the "King of Polkas and Waltzes" at the Slovenian Nightingale event in 1994 as the first performer of folk music.

1994 - The Lojze Slak Ensemble received the Diamond Nightingale Award for its melodies at the Slovenian Nightingale event.

1996 - The ensemble received the Golden Rooster Award in three categories: The Best Folk Ensemble, The Best Album and The Best Song.

1998 - At the music event The Most Beautiful Melody of the Century in Celje, the Slak's composition V dolini tihi  received the prestige title: Silver Melody of the Century.

1998 - The Fire Brigade Association of Slovenia awarded the ensemble with the second Golden Medal.

2001 - On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Slovenian Emigrant Association, this institution has awarded Lojze Slak with a Charter for his creative cooperation with them.

2001 -The American-Slovenian Polka Fund and the Museum of Cleveland awarded Lojze Slak for his lifetime work.

2001 - Lojze Slak received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the State of Ohio (USA) and the Most Popular Melody Award from the State of Ohio for his song Hej prijatelj.

2002 - On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Lojze Slak, a big jubilee concert was held in Novo mesto. The newspaper Nedeljski dnevnik and its readers awarded Lojze Slak with recognition and the honorary title of Dolenjska Nightingale.

2002 - On 23rd December 2002, Lojze Slak received the State Award of Honor of the Republic of Slovenia for his merits in the field of Slovenian mass music culture at home and abroad, presented to him by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Milan Kučan.

2003 - At an entertaining music event in Domžale, Lojze Slak received the unique award "Honorary Musician - Musician of all Musicians".

2011 - The American-Slovenian Polka Fund and the Museum of Cleveland have included the Slak's songs: Ne prižigaj luči (translated into English by Cecilia Dolgan under the title Save the Last Dance), Glas harmonike and Ej, prijatelj, on the list of most prominent songs.

2015 – In this year, the same foundation announced the song V dolini tihi as a hit of all time - "All Time Hit".