Ten new visual artists and composers receive £75,000 each as we announce this year’s recipients of Awards for Artists.
Now in its 32nd year, Awards for Artists supports visual artists and composers at a critical moment in their careers, providing them with funds with 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 31 years, awards of £12.79 million have been made to 377 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 Wednesday 4 November in central London.
Jane Hamlyn, Chair of the Visual Arts judging panel, said:
“It is a privilege each year to reaffirm our commitment to the arts through the giving of Awards for Artists. Many artists find their creativity diminished when resources are scarce, but we hope these awards can provide the recipients with the freedom they need to grow and develop.”
Kevin Le Gendre, Writer, Broadcaster, Journalist and Chair of Composers judging panel, said:
“There is often a barrier to who has the chance to become a composer and who doesn’t. The ‘no strings attached’ nature of our Awards for Artists aims to help overcome some of these barriers and encourage as much diversity, originality and risk in composing as possible.”
Linda Bell creates large-scale, interactive, and performative sculptural works. Through her multifaceted, experimental approach, Linda explores the sensory nature of materials, such as foil, paper, and fabric.
Racheal Crowther uses installation to explore the fine line between care and control, focusing on the psychological and social dimensions of buildings, objects, and spaces.
Rory Pilgrim works across songwriting, composition, film, music video, text, drawing and live performance.
Georgina Starr is a visual artist focusing on sound, moving image, installation and writing.
Hayley Tompkins is a visual artist who combines acrylic painting with a variety of other forms, including found objects, digital films, photography, and furniture, to create intimate installations.
Olivia Chaney is a composer, singer-songwriter, instrumentalist and folk musician.
Bushra El-Turk brings together diverse musical traditions grounded in her Lebanese heritage to create bold, musical narratives which confront societal norms and share unheard stories.
Charlotte Keeffe is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader and freely improvising trumpeter exploring the intersection of composition, improvisation and sonic experimentation.
Daudi Matsiko is a British-Ugandan singer-songwriter and guitarist who makes music in the contemporary folk tradition.
Ayanna Witter-Johnson is a composer, singer and cellist creating genre-fluid work that bridges classical composition, jazz improvisation and Afro-diasporic musical traditions.
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.
Each year, our Awards for Artists recognise exceptional visual artists and composers. We make these Awards based on a range of factors, one being the impact we believe this Award will have on an artist at that particular moment.
