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Awards for Artists 2023 – £600,000 to 10 visual artists and composers in the UK

Published: 8 November 2023 

We are delighted to announce the 10 recipients of Awards for Artists 2023 – the largest individual awards to visual artists and composers in the UK. 

Recipients of Awards for Artists 2023. Visual Artists (top L‑R) Ain Bailey, Black Obsidian Sound System (B.O.S.S.)*, Helen Cammock, Jamie Crewe, Imran Perretta Composers (below L‑R) Nneka Cummins, Edward George, Hyelim Kim, Francesca Pidgeon (Dilettante), Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy. Photo credits below**

Now in its 29th year, PHF’s Awards for Artists support visual artists and composers at a critical moment in their careers. Each award is for £60,000 over three years with no strings attached, giving artists the time and space to develop their work and relieving them of the pressures they may be facing. The awards reflect PHF’s strong belief in the value of artists to society and the vital contribution that they make to our culture. This year’s recipients reflect the vitality and diversity of art making throughout the UK today. 

“It’s a tough environment for artists at the moment. These awards help artists to focus on what they do best. With no strings attached, they are free to decide how the award can best support their life and practice.”

Jane Hamlyn, Chair, Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Chair of the Visual Arts judging panel 

Since 1994, Paul Hamlyn Foundation has made 347 awards to artists with funding of over £10 million. 

Previous recipients include visual artists Yinka Shonibare (1998), Jeremy Deller (2001), Phyllida Barlow (2007), Ed Atkins (2012), Michael Dean (2014), Sonia Boyce (2016), Charlotte Prodger (2017), Ingrid Pollard (2019), Hetain Patel (2021) and Alberta Whittle (2022). Composers include Sally Beamish (1994), Janek Schaefer (2008), Tansy Davies (2009), Eliza Carthy (2012), Shabaka Hutchings (2014), Daniel Kidane (2016), Serafina Steer (2017), Abel Selaocoe (2021) and Orphy Robinson (2022). 

Each year, a panel of four new judges selects the recipients on the basis of talent, promise and need, as well as achievement. The awards might be made at any point in an artist’s career with no age restrictions: Gustav Metzger was 80 when he received the award in 2006. In selecting recipients, the panel always considers an artist’s potential for future development. 

“This is a special opportunity to support talented artists across a very rich breadth of styles and practice. Each brings an authentic voice and we hope these awards will give them the freedom to explore new creative possibilities.”

Kevin Le Gendre, Writer, Broadcaster, Journalist and Chair of the Composers judging panel 

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the recipients and thank everyone who made the awards possible, especially the judges and nominators. Full biographies and examples of each artist’s work can be found here.