ARTnews has released the shortlist for the 2026 ARTnews Awards, with nominees spanning artists, museums, and galleries across the United States. The 2026 ARTnews Awards recognize standout achievements in the eligibility window of August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026.
Launched in 2024, the awards return in six categories: Emerging Artist of the Year, Established Artist of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Historical Artist of the Year, Best Thematic Museum Exhibition, and Best Gallery Group Show. According to the publication, the nominees reflect a wide survey of exhibitions, practices, and curatorial approaches across the period under review.
2026 ARTnews Awards jury
This year’s selections were made by five US-based curators and two ARTnews editors: Giampaolo Bianconi, Dittmer Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago; Jordan Carter, Curator at Dia Art Foundation; Lauren Cornell, Artistic Director of the Hessel Museum of Art at the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College; Miranda Lash, Ellen Bruss Chief Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver; and Diana Nawi, Curator of Special Projects in Contemporary Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, along with ARTnews Senior Editor Maximilíano Durón and Deputy Editor Alex Greenberger.
Editor in Chief Sarah Douglas said it was an honor to reveal the nominees for a third year, noting that the awards offer a moment to recognize the artists, curators, and institutions behind a season of exhibitions and that ARTnews, with nearly 125 years of criticism and journalism, is well placed to do so.
Emerging Artist of the Year
Recognizing an artist who is having their first significant gallery or small nonprofit solo show or has made an important contribution to a biennial.
- Eric Gyamfi for “Eric Gyamfi: Exposure: Black Queer Visual Constellations” at Brown Arts Institute, Providence, Rhode Island (April 16–June 15, 2026) and contributions to “If the word we: 59th Carnegie International” (May 2, 2026–January 3, 2027)
- Blas Isasi for “Currents 125: Blas Isasi” at Saint Louis Art Museum (February 6–August 9, 2026)
- Coco Klockner for “In Practice: Coco Klockner” at SculptureCenter, New York (October 18, 2025–December 22, 2025)
- Emma McCormick Goodhart for “sottobosco (climate remix): CAVE 0 by Emma McCormick Goodhart” at SculptureCenter, New York (December 11–22, 2025)
- Christelle Oyiri for “Christelle Oyiri: Belief May Vary” at Amant, New York (March 19, 2026–August 19, 2026)
Established Artist of the Year
Recognizing an artist with more than a decade of exhibition history whose latest exhibition marks a pivotal career moment.
- Raven Chacon for “Raven Chacon: Tiguex,” made in collaboration with the Tamarind Institute, the City of Albuquerque’s Department of Arts and Culture, and the University of New Mexico Department of Music (September 27, 2025)
- Mike Cloud for “Mike Cloud: Worldless Obstruction” at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (May 2, 2026–February 7, 2027)
- Vaginal Davis for “Vaginal Davis: Magnificent Product” at MoMA PS1, New York (October 9, 2025–March 2, 2026, US debut)
- Jacqueline Humphries for “Jacqueline Humphries” at the Aspen Art Museum (December 12, 2025–April 5, 2026)
- Saodat Ismailova for “Saodat Ismailova: Amanat” at Swiss Institute, New York (January 21, 2026–April 12, 2026)
Lifetime Achievement
Recognizing an influential living artist with a retrospective or survey at a major US museum.
- Coco Fusco for “Coco Fusco: Tomorrow, I Will Become an Island” at El Museo del Barrio, New York (September 18, 2025–March 1, 2026)
- Maren Hassinger for “Maren Hassinger: Living Moving Growing” at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (June 6–November 29, 2026)
- Suzanne Jackson for “Suzanne Jackson: What Is Love” at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (September 27, 2025–March 1, 2026); traveled to the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (May 14–August 23, 2026) and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (September 26, 2026–January 18, 2027)
- David Lamelas for “David Lamelas: The Machine” at Dia Chelsea, New York (March 6, 2026–January 16, 2027)
- Martin Puryear for “Martin Puryear: Nexus” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (September 27, 2025–February 8, 2026); traveled to the Cleveland Museum of Art (April 12, 2026–August 9, 2026)
Historical Artist of the Year
Honoring a deceased artist whose major museum survey offers a new perspective on their work.
- Theresa Hak Kyung Cha for “Theresa Hak Kyung Cha: Multiple Offerings” at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (January 24–April 19, 2026)
- Wifredo Lam for “Wifredo Lam: When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream” at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (November 10, 2025–April 11, 2026)
- Tom Lloyd for “Tom Lloyd” at the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York (November 15, 2025–March 22, 2026); traveled to the Frye Art Museum, Seattle (May 16–September 20, 2026)
- Ceija Stojka for “Ceija Stojka: Making Visible” at The Drawing Center, New York (February 20–June 7, 2026)
- Betty Parsons for “Betty Parsons: An World Expanded” at CCS Bard’s Hessel Museum of Art, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York (June 27–October 18, 2026)
Best Thematic Museum Exhibition
Recognizing a museum or nonprofit group show with a strong curatorial thesis or focus on a notable historical period.
- Into the Time Horizon at the Nevada Museum of Art, Reno (November 15, 2025–January 3, 2027). Curators: Apsara DiQuinzio, with Kolin Perry
- If the word we: 59th Carnegie International at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (May 2, 2026–January 3, 2027). Curators: Ryan Inouye, Danielle A. Jackson, and Liz Park
- Let Us Gather in a Flourishing Way at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum (March 6–September 6, 2026). Curator: Andrea Alvarez
- MONUMENTS at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA and The Brick, Los Angeles (October 23, 2025–May 3, 2026). Curators: Hamza Walker, Kara Walker, and Bennett Simpson, with Hannah Burstein and Paula Kroll
- Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (April 5, 2026–August 23, 2026). Curators: Pablo José Ramírez, with Jessi DiTillio
Best Gallery Group Show
Recognizing a group show at a commercial gallery or unconventional venue as part of an artist-initiated project with a distinctive curatorial perspective.
- Horror at Sprüth Magers, Los Angeles (November 21, 2025–February 14, 2026). Curator: Jill Mulleady
- How Beautiful This Living Thing Is at Ortuzar, New York (April 22–May 30, 2026). Curator: Andrew Durbin
- Snake, Turtle, Alligator: The Atomic Archive of Bryan LaPlante, Gregg Bordowitz, Nina Katchadourian, Lucy Raven, Elaine Reichek, Turquoise, Bruno Zhu at David Peter Francis, New York, co-organized with Interrobang (January 10–February 7, 2026)
- Statics of an Egg at David Zwirner, New York (May 8–June 27, 2026). Curator: Martin Germann
- What We Hold On To at Black Cube Nomadic Art Museum, Englewood, Colorado (September 5–December 12, 2025)
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