Art Basel has announced its 2026 medalists as part of its awards programme, created in partnership with BOSS.
Established as the first global honours dedicated to recognising excellence across the contemporary art world, this year’s cohort of 33 visionaries spans artists, innovators, and institutions. Each has been selected for their contributions and forward-thinking practices that continue to shape today’s artistic and cultural landscape.
Now in its second year, the awards recognise 15 artists alongside 18 recipients across institutions, patronage, curatorial practice, and beyond. The medalists form a global network, with roots in the United States, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, France, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, and the UK, among others. Their work reflects a wide range of disciplines, including visual art, film, architecture, and publishing.
The medalists will be honoured during Art Basel’s flagship fair in Switzerland this June, as well as through year-round global campaigns and initiatives. Gold Awardees will subsequently be selected through a peer-review process and announced at the official Art Basel Awards Night during Art Basel Miami Beach.
Vincenzo de Bellis, Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Art Basel Fairs, said: “With the second edition of the Art Basel Awards, we begin to see the initiative take shape in practice—from new commissions to long-term support and deeper engagement with our growing community of medalists. Building on last year’s momentum, it is especially rewarding to see how these connections evolve into tangible outcomes across the field. Through this initiative, Art Basel reaffirms its role as a global platform for the advancement, discovery, and production of art—not only recognising excellence but actively creating the conditions for it to grow. We are deeply grateful to our jury, nominators, and the many experts whose insight and commitment make this process both rigorous and collaborative. It is this community-driven approach that defines the Awards, reflecting the breadth and complexity of today’s cultural landscape.”
2026 MEDALISTS
EMERGING ARTIST Aziza Kadyri, Carla Gueye, Diego Marcon, Farah Al Qasimi, Precious Okoyomon, Tiffany Sia
ESTABLISHED ARTIST Apichatpong Weerasethakulm, Arthur Jafa, Julie Mehretu, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Theaster Gates
ICON ARTIST Barbara Kruger, Howardena Pindell, Jenny Holzer
CROSS-DISCIPLINARY CREATOR Kulapat Yantrasast, Laurie Anderson, Sumayya Vally
MUSEUM AND INSTITUTION Diriyah Biennale Foundation, SAVVY Contemporary, The Brick
MEDIA AND STORYTELLER Anton Vidokle, Hilton Als, Siddhartha Mitter
PATRON Mercedes Vilardell, Pamela J. Joyner, Teiger Foundation
ALLIES Independent Curators International, New Curators, Studio Museum in Harlem: Artist-in-Residence Program
CURATOR Azu Nwagbogu, Diana Campbell, Stuart Comer
