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Awards for Artists

Black Top perform at the 2024 Awards for Artists and 30th Anniversary celebration. Photo credit: Emile Holba.

Awards for Artists supports individuals at a timely moment in their careers, giving them the freedom to develop their creative ideas and contributing to their personal and professional growth.

On this page

About the awards

Paul Hamlyn Foundation established Awards for Artists in 1994 to give artists a financial award at a timely moment in their careers.

The awards aim to give artists the freedom to develop their creative ideas and to grow both personally and professionally, reflecting the Foundation’s strong belief in the value of artists to society. This unique scheme has benefited 357 artists with awards totalling £11.29 million.

Initially, the awards were made to artists from different art forms each year. The first awards were made in 1994 to composers, followed by choreographers in 1995, visual artists (sculpture & installation) in 1996 and poets in 1997. There has been a consistent focus on visual artists since 1998 and composers since 2007.

The awards are made every year and come with no strings attached – artists are free to use the money in whichever way they decide. 

In 2024, to celebrate 30 years of supporting artists at critical points in their careers, our Awards for Artists, given annually to five visual artists and five composers, increased from £60,000 to £75,000.

Awards for Artists 2024 recipients. Back row L R: Anne Bean, Mikhail Karikis, Grace Ndiritu, Aidan O’Rourke, Andrew Hamilton, Auclair. Front L R: Barry Anthony Finan, Rachel Musson, Sean Roy Parker. (Mark Sanders not present).
Awards for Artists 2024 recipients. Back row L R: Anne Bean, Mikhail Karikis, Grace Ndiritu, Aidan O’Rourke, Andrew Hamilton, Auclair. Front L R: Barry Anthony Finan, Rachel Musson, Sean Roy Parker. (Mark Sanders not present). Photo credit: Emile Holba
Moira Sinclair, Chief Executive of Paul Hamlyn Foundation, presenting at Awards for Artists.
Moira Sinclair, Chief Executive of Paul Hamlyn Foundation, presenting at Awards for Artists. Photo credit: Emile Holba 

Celebrating 30 years of Awards for Artists 

This year marks the 30th anniversary of our Awards for Artists. To celebrate, we spoke with 12 artists who have received the Award throughout its history to understand its impact on their lives and practices.

Read the artist profiles

Principles of the awards

The Awards provide artists creative freedom to address some of the practical limitations or outside pressures they may face, offering years’ financial support which recipients are free to use as they see fit. The awards are not about recognising commercial success and they will therefore only be made to artists who need financial support to continue to practice.

Visual Artists 2024 – award recipients

Composers 2024 – award recipients

Previous recipients

Process, judging and nomination

Find out more about how the Awards for Artists recipients are selected.

How the awards work