We are pleased to announce the names of this year’s recipients of Awards for Artists – the largest individual arts awards for visual artists and composers in the UK.
Established in 1994, Awards for Artists supports visual artists and composers at a critical moment in their careers. Each artist is awarded £75,000.
Unusually for awards of this size, there are no strings attached. Artists are free to use the money as they wish, providing time and space to develop their ideas, and alleviating the pressures they are facing. Artists and composers are nominated by a wide network of peers and the final decisions are made by a panel of four new judges each year.
Over the past 30 years, awards of £12 million have been made to 367 artists across the UK, a mark of our enduring belief in the value of artists and their vital contribution to society. This year, as in previous years, the recipients of the Award reflect the vitality and diversity of art making throughout the UK today.
The awards were announced at an event on Thursday 13 November in central London.
Jane Hamlyn, Chair, Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Chair of the Visual Arts judging panel, said:
“Most opportunities artists are presented with require additional work, but rarely do they recognise the difficulty of sustaining a career as an artist. Through providing a no-strings-attached Award, we hope to offer artists the crucial time, space and resource they need to sustain their practice and livelihoods.”
Kevin Le Gendre, Writer, Broadcaster, Journalist and Chair of Composers judging panel, said:
“It’s a privilege to recognise the exceptional artists receiving Awards this year, and it’s particularly special to see such a breadth of genre and style in this group of composers. They are all strong-willed and courageous individuals. We look forward to seeing how these artists develop their creative practice in the future.”
Karla Black creates sculptural works that move fluidly between painting, installation, performance, and environment.
Maeve Brennan is an artist and filmmaker based in London. Her research-driven practice explores the social, historical and political resonance of material and place.
Alex Hartley’s multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, photography, filmmaking, climbing, publications, large-scale architectural installations, and participatory site-specific works.
Edwin Mingard is a socially engaged visual artist whose practice spans photography, film, and installation, often creating works with groups and individuals who are underrepresented in art contexts.
Ima-Abasi Okon works across sculpture, sound, and video to create multilayered installations.
Nwando Ebizie’s work spans orchestral music, sound art, installation, dance, theatre, poetry, and Afrofuturist avant-pop.
Angeline Morrison is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter whose work combines a deep love of traditional song, respect for the hidden ancestral voices of Old Albion, and explorations and reimagining of diaspora, nation and history.
Alex Neilson (Alex Rex) is a composer, songwriter and musician specialising in experimental folk and psychedelic music.
Maggie Nicols is a composer, musician, vocalist, activist and actor, using the force of music-making in the community to empower the powerless.
Hanna Tuulikki is a British-Finnish artist, composer and performer working across sound art, music, live art and visual art.
Visual arts:
Composers:
Previous recipients of the Awards include visual artists Yinka Shonibare (1998), Jeremy Deller (2001), Phyllida Barlow (2007), Ed Atkins (2012), Michael Dean (2014), Sonia Boyce (2016), Charlotte Prodger (2017), Larry Achiampong (2019), Alberta Whittle (2022) and Anne Bean (2024). Composers include Sally Beamish (1994), Janek Schaefer (2008), Tansy Davies (2009), Anna Meredith (2010), Eliza Carthy (2012), Shabaka Hutchings (2014), Daniel Kidane (2016), Serafina Steer (2017), Abel Selaocoe (2021) and Orphy Robinson (2022).
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, will increase from £60,000 to £75,000.
We are delighted to announce the 10 recipients of Awards for Artists 2024 – the largest individual awards given to visual artists and composers in the UK.
