BERLIN (Reuters) - A prominent German prize for freedom and democratic change will not be awarded this year after the independent award committee's decision to give it to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was criticized. "There will be no prize this year," said a spokesman for the board of trustees that awards the Quadriga prize every year. "We will see how it continues next year." The board of trustees said in a news release it was concerned by the "massive criticism in media and parts of politics," which prompted it to cancel the award for the first time since it was founded in 2003.