Veteran director Pedro Maso will receive the Goya of Honour at the 20thanniversary edition of Spain'sOscar-equivalent national awards ceremony next January 29.

The Academy said the career of Maso, 60, "has followed the social,moral and political evolution of Spanish society, so that his broad workconstitutes an important sociological testimony to the last half century of ourcountry's history."

Maso, whohas also worked as a scriptwriter and producer, has more than 70 feature filmsto his credit.

Starting in the 1980s, he alsobegan producing and directing works for Spain'sburgeoning television sector.

Last year's Goya Awards weredominated by Alejandro Amenabar's The Sea Inside (MarAdentro), which took home a record 14 statues from 15nominations.

Veteran actor Jose Luis Lopez Vazquez received the Goya of Honor. Spain'sthen-new Socialist prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero,made history when he turned up for the ceremony.