Ruth Prize 2026: Dota Kehr honored for Mascha-Kaléko program in Rudolstadt

The jury's reasoning also highlights how Dota Kehr translates the texts into sound: "Dota Kehr habe den ironisch-zärtlichen, oft aber auch melancholischen Ton von Kalékos Großstadt-Lyrik der 1920er-Jahre in feine Töne gegossen, sodass die Gedichte klingen, als seien sie gerade erst in dieser Text-Musik-Form geschrieben worden.

The Ruth Prize is awarded by the Rudolstadt Festival and has for years honored outstanding achievements in the fields of World, Roots, Folk and Song. With the award, the initiators want to draw public attention to these genres, which often receive less attention outside the mainstream.

The Ruth Prize and its backstory

Last year, the prize went to the musician Ezé, who originally comes from Burkina Faso. With the award to Dota Kehr, the jury is setting an accent this year on the German song tradition and its contemporary renewal through settings of classical lyric poetry.

Dota Kehr's career

Dota Kehr first became known in the early 2000s under the pseudonym "Die Kleingeldprinzessin." Since 2013, she has released music with her band under the name Dota. Over the course of her career, she has recorded two of her albums in Brazil and collaborated there with local artists such as Chico Cesár and Danilo Guilherme.

The Rudolstadt Festival 2026 attracted around 90,000 guests according to the organizers. Artists from 40 countries performed at this edition. Construction work necessitated some stage changes, although this did not significantly affect festival operations.

The festival at a glance

With the Ruth Prize, Dota Kehr receives recognition that attracts attention beyond the German music scene. The combination of independent songwriter work, international collaborations and her engagement with the poetry of Mascha Kaléko makes the artist a defining voice in contemporary German-language song.