The Nazrul Award 2018 was officially handed over on June 14 at a seminar at the Kabi Sufia Kamal Auditorium of Bangladesh National Museum, Shahbagh in the city. The awardees were vocalists Selina Hossain and Josef Kamal Rodrix for their contributions to Nazrul Music. State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid was present as chief guest with the aim to honour the recipients not out of benevolence but because they deserve their awards. He also mentioned in his laudatory address to the recipients that the government would very soon reestablish the 'Nazrul Corner' in the National Museum and also construct a new complex for Nazrul Institute worth fifty crore taka.

The state minister added that the revived Nazrul Corner, which once functioned to spearhead research and practice of Nazrul works would contribute to familiarize the young generation with creative pieces of Nazrul. A cultural show followed the discussion session where senior and younger students of Nazrul Institute performed 'Eki Aparup Rup-e Ma Tomay Herinu Palli-Janani', 'Durgom Giri Kantar' and 'Joy Hok Joy Hok. Yasmin Mushtari also chipped in with 'Tumi Kon Path-E Ele He Mayabi Kabi', 'E Nohe Bilash' alongside other noted singers like Yakub Ali Khan, Jannat-E Ferdousi, Sumon Chowdhury, Rehana Mashiur Rahman. Veteran elocutionist Professor Niranjan Adhikari presented poetical pieces by Nazrul while Warda Rihab and his troupe presented choreography.

Present at the event were Trustee of Nazrul Institute and granddaughter of Kazi Nazrul Islam, Khilkhil Kazi; chairman of the institute, National Professor Rafiqul Islam; executive director Md. Abdur Razzak Bhuiyan. Former executive director poet Nurul Huda was to present the keynote paper but in his absence his son Musa read it out.