The Prešeren Prize is given to artists who have permanently enriched Slovenian cultural heritage with their outstanding artistic achievements during their lifetime’s work. The Prešeren Fund Prize is given to artists for their outstanding artistic achievements that were presented to the public in the three years prior to the award and enrich Slovenian cultural heritage. Classical philologist and translator Dr Kajetan Gantar and musicologist and conductor Dr Mirko Cuderman were awarded the 2022 Prešeren Prize for life’s work.

The 2022 Prešeren Fund Prize was awarded to poet and writer Anja Štefan for her literary creativity in the past three years, especially for the collection of fairy tales Three Hundred Rabbits, the poetry collection I have Green Shoes and the original fairy tale The Rabbit’s House, theatre actress Jette Ostan Vejrup for several premiere roles over the last three years, composer Damijan Močnik for his creative opus of vocal and vocal-instrumental music in the past three years, soprano Andreja Zakonjšek Krt for the roles of Amelia in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra and Marguerite in Gounod's Faust, painter Dušan Kirbiš for the exhibition On the Origin of Images at the Ptuj City Gallery, and director and creator of animated films Špela Čadež for directing the animated film Steakhouse.

This year's state ceremony marking Slovenian Cultural Day was centred around the verse Cherishing a hope of happiness from Prešeren's poem The Baptism on the Savica, which was the main theme of the event's cultural programme. Through film, dance and acting interpretation, the creators questioned the time of trial, which, in all periods, obliges people to understand above all themselves, their struggle and their personal growth. The roles of the protagonists Črtomir and Bogomila were played by young actors Mak Tepšić and Lea Cok. The performance was adapted and directed by Katja Pegan and was produced by the Koper Theatre during last year's closure due to the coronavirus epidemic. This year, Prešeren's poem A Toast was interpreted by the acting duo Patrizia Jurinčič Finžgar and Vladimir Jurc. The recipients of the Prešeren Fund Prize and the Prešeren laureates for 2022 were presented and honoured through a film by Dean Grgurica and Matej Sukič.

Before the ceremony, Prime Minister Janez Janša and his wife Urška Bačovnik Janša also met with this year's and last year's Prešeren laureates and recipients of the Prešeren Fund Prize. At the meeting held in the Small Gallery of Cankarjev dom, the guests were greeted by the Minister of Culture, Dr Vasko Simoniti, and the President of the Management Board of the Prešeren Fund, Dr Jožef Muhovič.