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. The awards are made every year and come with no strings attached – artists are free to use the money in whichever way they decide. Ten awards of £60,000 each are made annually, five to visual artists and five to composers.

The awards are a closed application process, with participation in the scheme each year by invitation only.

2019 marked the 25th anniversary of the awards. You can find out more about the history and impact of the awards here.

In response to Covid-19, we put our normal selection process to one side in 2020. In its place, every eligible visual artist and composer nominated for the 2020 awards received £10,000. Read more