2026 Sobey Art Award - Call for Nominations
Canada's most established contemporary visual arts prize now accepting nominations for 30 Canadian artists. Total prize fund: $465,000.
The National Gallery of Canada (NGC) and The Sobey Art Foundation (SAF) invite nominations for the 2026 Sobey Art Award, now in its 25th year and 23rd running. This prestigious award recognizes 30 Canadian artists from six regions: Circumpolar, Pacific, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic.
The Sobey Art Award is among the most generous art prizes in the world, with a total prize fund of $465,000. The Award recognizes artists of all ages at pivotal moments in their careers and supports them in devoting themselves to their artistic practice.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada
- Must have received recognition from peers, critics, and/or curators
- Open to individual artists and collectives
- Self-nominated applications will NOT be accepted
Nominations must come from established artists, arts professionals, scholars, critics, curators, professionals from art galleries and artist-run centres, or private Canadian dealers in visual or media arts.
Prize Structure:
- Overall Winner: $100,000
- Five Shortlisted Artists (each): $25,000
- Remaining Longlisted Artists (each): $10,000
Timeline:
- Nominations open: January 15, 2026
- Longlist (5 artists from each region) announced: March 2026
- Shortlist (6 artists total) announced: Spring 2026
- Exhibition at National Gallery of Canada: Fall 2026
- Winner announcement: November 2026
Previous winners and finalists have achieved notable exposure and critical success nationally and internationally. The 2025 winner, Tania Willard, will be featured in a solo exhibition at the Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver (opening March 2026) and will participate in the 25th Biennale of Sydney.