Art Basel has unveiled its list of 33 nominees for the second cycle of the Art Basel Awards. These 33 medalists include artists, curators, institutions, and other luminaries who are shaping contemporary art and culture, including Barbara Kruger, Arthur Jafa, and Jenny Holzer; architect Kulapat Yantrasast, and New Yorker writer and theatre critic Hilton Als.
In its second cycle, the Art Basel awards, which are presented in partnership with German fashion brand BOSS, honor a diverse range of creatives. The 33 medalists will be honored at Art Basel this June, and a further selection of gold awardees will be announced at Art Basel Miami Beach this December.
The nominees are spread across nine categories and represent artists, collectors, curators, institutions, media figures, and other champions of artists. “This year’s cohort spans geographies, disciplines, and generations, reflecting a truly interconnected art world,” said Vincenzo de Bellis, the chair of the award’s jury as well as the chief artistic office and global director of Art Basel, in a press statement. “The Awards are designed to capture a broad cross-section of the ecosystem, grounded in the belief that meaningful progress depends on exchange across disciplines and perspectives. From emerging voices to established figures, the 2026 cohort represents those advancing some of the most compelling and forward-looking ideas in the industry today, setting the foundation for future generations and expanding what the art world can become.”
At this year’s Art Basel in Switzerland, a selection of the medalists including Arthur Jafa, María Magdalena Campos Pons, Mercedes Vilardell, and Precious Okoyomon will take place in the artist-led Conversations series.
The full list of nominees is below:
Icon Artists
- Barbara Kruger
- Howardena Pindell
- Jenny Holzer
Established Artists
- Apichatpong Weerasethakul
- Arthur Jafa
- Julie Mehretu
- María Magdalena Campos-Pons
- Rirkrit Tiravanija
- Theaster Gates
Emerging Artists
- Aziza Kadyri
- Carla Gueye
- Diego Marcon
- Precious Okoyomon
- Tiffany Sia
- Farah Al Qasimi
Cross-Disciplinary creators
- Laurie Anderson
- Sumayya Vally
- Kulapat Yantrasast
Patrons
- Mercedes Vilardell
- Pamela J. Joyner
- Teiger Foundation
Museums & Institutions
- Diriyah Biennale Foundation
- SAVVY Contemporary
- The Brick, Los Angeles
Curators
- Azu Nwagbogu
- Diana Campbell
- Stuart Comer
Allies
- Independent Curators International (ICI)
- New Curators
- Studio Museum in Harlem – AIR
Media and storytellers
- Anton Vidokle
- Hilton Als
- Siddhartha Mitter
