The ''Antorcha'' (') was an award given to the artists who participate in the

Viña del Mar International Song Festival , image = , caption =Overture to the closing night of LI Viña del Mar International Song Festival (2010) , location =Viña del Mar, Chile , years_active =1960-present , founders = , dates =3rd week of February , ...

according to audience reaction. It was created in 1983 in honor of the paper

torch A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end, which is ignited and used as a light source. Torches have been used throughout history, and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggling entertainment. In ...

es that people lit in the stands of

Quinta Vergara Quinta Vergara is a park located in Viña del Mar, Chile. The park features three major landmarks: the Palacio Vergara, the Quinta Vergara Amphitheater and a garden. Every year the park is home to the Viña del Mar International Song Festival. P ...

. In January 2015, this award was eliminated in favor of the '' Gaviota''. The reason is due to the devaluation that the award had suffered in previous years, including the "excessive" intervention of the presenters, who had to interrupt the presentation on four occasions.

Trophy

The trophy has the shape of a torch, supported by three cylindrical bars that suspend it. It is inserted in a wooden base. Originally, one torch was plated in silver, but later, and to regulate the delivery of the '' Gaviotas de Oro'', another torch was created, plated in gold. This shaped their names: The ''Antorcha de Plata'' and the ''Antorcha de Oro''. The trophy is made in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, by a local company called ''Broncerías Chile''.

Antorcha de Plata

The ''Antorcha de Plata'' (') was usually the first prize given to an artist at the request of the public during his presentation. This award was created in 1983, with the objective of regulating the delivery of '' Gaviotas de Plata'' to the artist by popular demand and reserve it exclusively for the winners of the ''International'' and ''Folk Competitions''. It was definitively replaced by the ''Gaviota de Plata'' in the LVI Viña Festival.

Antorcha de Oro

The ''Antorcha de Oro'' (') was usually the top prize given to an artist at the request of the public during his presentation. This award was created to avoid delivery of the ''Gaviotas'' to an artist at the request of the public. However, public pressure urged the delivery of as many ''Antorchas'' as ''

Gaviotas Gaviotas is an ecovillage located in the Llanos of the Colombian department of Vichada. It was founded in 1971 by Paolo Lugari who assembled a group of engineers and scientists in an attempt to create a mode of sustainable living in one of the ...

'', as this prize the second given to an artist before the delivery of the ''Gaviota de Plata''. It was definitively replaced by the ''Gaviota de Plata'' in the LVI Viña Festival.

References

{{Viña del Mar International Song Festival Song awards Chilean music awards Awards established in 1983 Awards disestablished in 2015