Alena Heribanová Retires After Lifetime Achievement Award

Slovak television personality Alena Heribanová received a lifetime achievement award at the 29th annual Krištáľové krídlo (Crystal Wing) gala on Saturday, March 21, 2026 and announced her retirement from television shortly after accepting the honor.

Heribanová, a veteran broadcaster and author, was presented with the Mimoriadna cena (Special Award) at the ceremony, which was broadcast live on STVR and co-hosted by Martina Zábranská and Andrej Kraus. The awards recognize outstanding achievements in art, sport, business, medicine, philanthropy, and science. According to STVR, more than 340 nominations were considered by expert juries before selecting thirty recipients across ten categories, in addition to the lifetime achievement honoree.

“The awards are nice, but the everyday life we have, the work we had, the creation of programs and conversations, that filled me with great joy,” Heribanová said following the ceremony, as reported by Diva.sk. “And the greatest success in my life, and I say this as a mother, is the birth of my two daughters, who are the closest beings to me.”

Heribanová is best known for hosting the long-running television program “Anjeli strážni” (Guardian Angels) for the past 22 years. Despite her continued popularity, she indicated a desire to pursue other interests. “Now this young generation is wiser in many things, but I am happy to pass on those life experiences to them,” she told Diva.sk.

The Krištáľové krídlo awards, which have been presented for 29 years, aim to recognize individuals who contribute significantly to the development of Slovakia. This year’s event was held as a partnership with STVR, according to a Facebook post from the official Krištáľové krídlo page.