On September 30, 2024, a solemn award ceremony for cultural leaders took place at the Palace of Miners' Culture. Madikhan Seitmakhanovich Kalmakhanov, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Fine Arts and Design of Karaganda University named after Academician E.A. Buketov, Master of Arts, and a member of the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan, was recognized as the Artist of the Year 2024. He was awarded a Diploma, a Statuette, and a prize.