Spain's royals honor Asturias prize winners, including Meryl Streep and Haruki Murakami

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Actress Meryl Streep is applauded before receiving the Prince of Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts during the awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Japanese author Haruki Murakami, right, after receiving an emblem from the Spanish Royal family during the Princess of Asturias awards, in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Japanese author Haruki Murakami after receiving an emblem from the Spanish Royal family during the Princess of Asturias awards, in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge is applauded by Spanish Royals after receiving the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports during the awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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The Spanish Royal family pose during a ceremony for the Princess of Asturias awards, in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct.20, 2023. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Spain’s Princess Leonor speaks during the Princess of Asturias awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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People wait outside the Campoamor theatre for the arrivals to the Prince of Asturias Awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Workers push rolled up carpets outside the Campoamor theatre for the Prince of Asturias Awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Spain Princess Leonor during a ceremony for the Princess of Asturias awards, in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct.20, 2023. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Spain’s Princess Asturias Leonor, right, with Queen Letizia and Spain King Felipe VI during a ceremony with Princess of Asturias awards, in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct.20, 2023. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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The Spanish Royal family pose during a ceremony for the Princess of Asturias awards, in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct.20, 2023. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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U.S. actress Meryl Streep talks with Spain Queen Letizia, left, and her daughters Princess Leonor, right, and Sofia after receiving an emblem from the Spanish Royal family during the Princess of Asturias awards, in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge, centre, speaks before receiving the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports during the awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge speaks before receiving the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports during the awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Japanese author Haruki Murakami bows before the start of the Prince of Asturias awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Spain’s Royal family from left to right, Spain’s Princess Leonor, Spain’s King Felipe V, Queen Letizia and Princess Sofia stand before the start of the awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Actress Meryl Streep is applauded by Spanish Royals after being awarded with Prince of Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts during the awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Japanese author Haruki Murakami, centre, is applauded by Actress Meryl Streep and others before receiving the Princess of Asturias Award for Literature during the awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Japanese author Haruki Murakami, right is applauded by Actress Meryl Streep before receiving the Princess of Asturias Award for Literature during the awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Japanese author Haruki Murakami reacts after receiving the Princess of Asturias Award for Literature during the awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

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Actress Meryl Streep, front speaks with Spain’s King Felipe VI, 4th left while being applauded by Spain’s Princess Leonor, 2nd left, Queen Letizia, 5th left and Princess Sofia, 6th left after being awarded with Prince of Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts during the awards ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. The awards, named after the heir to the Spanish throne, are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

By ÁLVARO BARRIENTOS and CIARÁN GILES

OVIEDO, Spain (AP) — American actor Meryl Streep on Friday received Spain’s prestigious Princess of Asturias Arts Award at a ceremony presided over by the Spanish royal family in the northern city of Oviedo.

During her acceptance speech, Streep spoke about the empathy actors must feel for their characters and which people in cinemas and theaters feel for people on screen or stage that look — or sound — different to themselves, as something that could be useful in everyday life too.

“Empathy may be a radical form of outreach and diplomacy useful in other theaters of endeavor” she said. “In our world, in our increasingly hostile, volatile world, I hope we might take to heart another rule every actor is taught, that is: it is all about listening.”

The prize was one of eight awarded this year in areas covering the arts, literature, science and international cooperation among others. The annual awards are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world.

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Others honored at the ceremony were bestselling Japanese author Haruki Murakami, who won the literature prize and U.S. biologists Jeffrey Gordon, Peter Greenberg and Bonnie Bassler, who received the scientific and technical research prize. Gordon was unable to attend.

Two of the 2023 winners, French historian Hélène Carrère d’Encausse, who won the social sciences award, and Italian author and philosopher Nuccio Ordine, who won the communication and humanities prize, died earlier this year and were represented by relatives.

Scottish charity group Mary’s Meals, which won the concord award for its work feeding schoolchildren facing extreme poverty across the globe and The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) which was honored with the international cooperation distinction, were also represented.

Sports award winner, Kenyan marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge, said in a speech that running for him was much more than a physical exercise.

“We must make our world a running world, because a running world is a happy world. And a happy world is a peaceful world,” he said.

The prizes, for which the winners receive 50,000 euros ($53,000) and a sculpture by Spanish Catalan artist Joan Miró, were formally presented by Crown Princess Leonor after whom the prize foundation is named.

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Ciarán Giles contributed from Madrid.

Spain’s royals honor Asturias prize winners, including Meryl Streep and Haruki Murakami

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