Malta, represented by 12 year old Gaia Cauchi, has won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2013!

This is the first time that Malta has won a Eurovision Song Contest..

It has been announced that Gaia Cauchi will be receiving the Gieh ir-Repubblika award. She will be they youngest person at age 12 to receive this national award.

Times of Malta said that “It will be conferred on Republic Day, December 13 and Gaia will be enrolled in the National Order of Merit.”
So one asks, is it Gieh ir-repubblika or National Order of Merit / Qadi r-Repubblika?

Do you agree that she should have been given the Gieh ir-Repubblika award just for winning a children’s festival – given that it is a very important award?
Or should it have been given to well established (internationally) singers like Joseph Calleja or well known performers like Charles Thake?
Don’t they merit an award too?

UPDATE: News source The Malta Independent confirms that Gaia will not be given Gieh ir-Repubblika, but the Midalja ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika.

Some have expressed their opinion that she should have been given a sponsorship instead or even in addition to the medal. What do you think?