Turner Prize Shortlist

Four artists are now in the running for the 2026 Turner Prize, with Tate naming Simeon Barclay, Kira Freije, Marguerite Humeau and Tanoa Sasraku on April 23. (wallpaper.com) Their work will go on show at MIMA, the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, from September 26, 2026, to March 29, 2027. Tate will announce the winner there on December 10, 2026. (bbc.co.uk) The Turner Prize is awarded each year to a British artist for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work. Tate says the jury shortlisted these four from recent shows and projects rather than from a single new commission. (tate.org.uk) (artreview.com) This year’s shortlist leans heavily toward sculpture, installation and performance. Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson, who chairs the jury, said the selection spans “installation and performance” with “a strong emphasis on sculptural practice.” (independent.co.uk) Barclay was nominated for *The Ruin*, a live performance presented at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London and at The Hepworth Wakefield in 2025. Coverage of the shortlist described the work as a spoken-word performance rooted in Huddersfield life. (artsy.net) (bbc.co.uk) Freije was shortlisted for her solo exhibition at The Hepworth Wakefield, where she used sculpture, installation, drawing and video to examine oil extraction and its afterlives. Reports on the shortlist said she incorporated corporate merchandise linked to the petroleum industry, including items bought on eBay. (wallpaper.com) (nytimes.com) Humeau was nominated for her solo exhibition at ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art in Denmark, which later traveled to Helsinki Art Museum. Her installations are built around speculative worlds that draw on paleontology, ecology and science fiction. (heni.com) (wallpaper.com) Sasraku was shortlisted for her solo show at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, where she presented sculpture, film and works on paper. Tate’s announcement places her among a group of artists using physical materials and staged environments to build immersive installations. (heni.com) (aestheticamagazine.com) The prize was established in 1984 and is presented by Tate, often with a host museum outside London. Tate says each shortlisted artist receives £10,000, and the winner receives £25,000. (tate.org.uk) (artsy.net) Last year’s prize went to Nnena Kalu, and the 2026 edition now shifts the focus to Middlesbrough for the autumn exhibition and December ceremony. The next public marker in the race is the opening at MIMA on September 26. (artsy.net) (bbc.co.uk)