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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 367 artists with awards totalling over £12 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 £75,000 award in whichever way they decide. 

Awards for Artists 2025 recipients. Back row L‑R: Hanna Tuulikki, Alex Neilson, Edwin Mingard, Maeve Brennan, Alex Hartley, Nwando Ebizie, Karla Black. Front L‑R: Angeline Morrison, Maggie Nicols. (Ima-Abasi Okon not present). Photo credit: Emile Holba
A DJ is holding his headphones, in front of a standing crowd at a reception event.
Edward George performing a DJ set at the 2024 Awards for Artists. Photo credit: Emile Holba. 

Celebrating 30 years of Awards for Artists 

In 2024, we marked 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 2025 – award recipients

Composers 2025 – award recipients

Previous recipients

Process, judging and nomination

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

How the awards work