Paul Hamlyn Foundation AWARDS FOR ARTISTS 2024 Celebrating 30 years

25 September 2024 - Press release

To celebrate 30 years of supporting artists at critical points in their careers, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Awards for Artists, given annually to five visual artists and five composers, will increase from £60,000 to £75,000. 

Unique in its no-strings-attached funding model, Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Awards for Artists allows recipients to use their award as they wish, providing them the freedom to develop their creative ideas and support their personal and professional growth. 

This year, which marks the 30^th anniversary of the Awards for Artists, the Foundation will increase the award from £60,000 to £75,000 each, reflecting its strong belief in the value of artists and their vital contribution to society. Since 1994, the scheme has benefited over 347 artists with awards totalling an astonishing £10.54 million, underscoring the significant contribution of the Award to the broader UK arts sector.

The ten recipients of the 2024 Awards for Artists will be announced on 14 November 2024 at a ceremony in central London.

Unlike traditional art prizes, recipients of the Award are nominated by their peers then selected by a judging panel who consider artists based on a number of factors: talent, promise, tenacity and achievement to date; as well as, crucially, how financial support could help to support and develop their careers. It is not in response to work completed, nor is it a commission for future work. The Awards focus on the artists themselves rather than a particular type of practice or genre; and selection considers artists of all ages and from as broad a spectrum of visual arts practice and composition as possible. Previous recipients have used the award to help with living costs and purchase equipment, as well as to buy time and space to develop ideas and explore new techniques.

Past visual artist recipients include: Larry Achiampong (2019), Black Obsidian Sound System (B.O.S.S) (2023), 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), Harold Offeh (2019), Hardeep Pandhal (2021), Gustav Metzger (2006), Anne Tallentire (2017) and Alberta Whittle (2022).

Past composer recipients include: Martin Green (2014), Nneka Cummins (2023), Sarathy Korwar (2022), Yazz Ahmed (2021), Abel Selaocoe (2021), Laura Jurd (2019), Eleanor Alberga (2019), Sarah Angliss (2018), Serafina Steer (2017), Brian Irvine (2015), Eliza Carthy (2012), Shabaka Hutchings (2014), Luke Bedford (2007).

A full list of past recipients of the Awards for Artists since 1994 can be found here.

The Paul Hamlyn Awards for Artists has evolved over the years. Since 1998, there has been a consistent focus on visual artists, and since 2007, on composers. However, in the earlier years, different art forms were also recognised, such as choreographers in 1995 and poets in 1997. It has also adapted to external challenges; in 2020 and 2021, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the standard selection process was set aside enabling more artists to receive financial support. In total, £2 million was awarded to over 150 artists.

Moira Sinclair, Chief Executive, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, said: “This increase reflects our belief in the value of the arts and the vital contribution artists make to our society. Over 30 years, we have seen how the Awards have helped brilliant artists to develop their practice. We hope this increased Award offers this year’s recipients the opportunity to do the same.”