The second edition of the Art Basel Awards continues to position itself as one of the most expansive recognitions of contemporary cultural production, spotlighting 33 medalists across nine categories that span artists, curators, institutions, patrons, and cultural producers. Conceived as a global, cross-disciplinary initiative, the awards move beyond traditional prize structures to acknowledge the wider ecosystem that shapes how art is created, circulated, and experienced today.

What distinguishes this year’s cohort is its reflection of an increasingly interconnected art world—one where practices are no longer confined to singular mediums or geographies, but instead operate across disciplines and contexts. Within this framework, African and African diasporic practitioners emerge as key contributors, bringing distinct perspectives that engage with memory, identity, ecology, and spatial practice. Their work not only participates in global conversations but actively reshapes them, offering new ways of thinking about art’s role in society.

At the heart of this year’s selection is a group of African medalists whose practices cut across key categories, each contributing powerfully to the evolving language of contemporary art.

African Medalists at the 2026 Art Basel Awards

— Established Artist: Julie Mehretu (Ethiopia)
Born in Addis Ababa, Julie Mehretu is recognized for a practice that navigates abstraction through layered compositions informed by architecture, cartography, and media imagery. Her large-scale paintings construct dense visual fields where histories, geographies, and social tensions converge. Beyond her studio work, Mehretu’s engagement with community-building and cultural initiatives reinforces her role as both artist and institutional force.

— Cross-Disciplinary Creator: Sumayya Vally (South Africa)
Pretoria-born Sumayya Vally, founder of Counterspace, is honored for redefining architecture through a practice rooted in African and Islamic cultural frameworks. Her work challenges static notions of space, instead proposing fluid, layered environments shaped by memory, migration, and belonging. Vally’s approach positions architecture as a cultural and social act, expanding the boundaries of contemporary design.

— Curator: Azu Nwagbogu (Nigeria)
Lagos-born Azu Nwagbogu is recognized for his foundational role in shaping contemporary African art discourse. As founder of the African Artists’ Foundation and LagosPhoto Biennale, he has built critical platforms that extend beyond exhibitions into publishing, research, and long-term cultural infrastructure. His philosophy of “Happy Survival” reflects a practice grounded in resilience and collective cultural production.

— Museum and Institution: SAVVY Contemporary (Cameroon/Germany)
Founded by Cameroonian curator Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, SAVVY Contemporary is recognized for its discursive, research-driven approach to exhibition-making. Based in Berlin, the institution operates as a space for knowledge exchange across geographies, consistently challenging hierarchies within the art world while foregrounding plurality and dialogue.

— Emerging Artist: Carla Gueye (Senegal)
Born in France and of Senegalese descent, Carla Gueye is honored for a practice that explores intimacy, memory, and cultural transmission. Working with materials such as clay and lime, she constructs sculptural environments that bridge personal and collective histories. Her work also extends into collaborative research in Senegal, engaging local communities and artisanal practices.

— Emerging Artist: Precious Okoyomon (Nigeria)
London-born Nigerian artist Precious Okoyomon is recognized for a multidisciplinary practice spanning poetry, installation, and performance. Rooted in ecological thinking, their work uses organic materials and living systems to explore migration, race, and the enduring impacts of colonial histories, creating immersive environments where growth, decay, and transformation unfold over time.

Full List of 2026 Art Basel Awards Medalists

Emerging Artist

• Aziza Kadyri (Uzbekistan/UK)
• Carla Gueye (France/Senegal)
• Diego Marcon (Italy)
• Farah Al Qasimi (UAE)
• Precious Okoyomon (UK/Nigeria)
• Tiffany Sia (Hong Kong)

Established Artist

• Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand)
• Arthur Jafa (USA)
• Julie Mehretu (Ethiopia)
• María Magdalena Campos-Pons (Cuba)
• Rirkrit Tiravanija (Argentina/Thailand)
• Theaster Gates (USA)

Icon Artist

• Barbara Kruger (USA)
• Howardena Pindell (USA)
• Jenny Holzer (USA)

Cross-Disciplinary Creator

• Kulapat Yantrasast (Thailand/USA)
• Laurie Anderson (USA)
• Sumayya Vally (South Africa)

Museum and Institution

• Diriyah Biennale Foundation (Saudi Arabia)
• SAVVY Contemporary (Germany/Cameroon)
• The Brick (USA)

Media and Storyteller

• Anton Vidokle (USA)
• Hilton Als (USA)
• Siddhartha Mitter (USA)

Patron

• Mercedes Vilardell (Spain)
• Pamela J. Joyner (USA)
• Teiger Foundation (USA)

Allies

• Independent Curators International (ICI)
• New Curators
• Studio Museum in Harlem: Artist-in-Residence Program

Curator

• Azu Nwagbogu (Nigeria)
• Diana Campbell (USA/Bangladesh)
• Stuart Comer (USA)

The 2026 medalists were selected by an international jury of nine experts, recognizing individuals and institutions whose work continues to shape contemporary culture across disciplines and geographies. The awardees will be honored during Art Basel in Switzerland in June, with Gold Award recipients to be announced later in the year at Art Basel Miami Beach.

While the presence of African and diasporic figures within this year’s cohort remains measured, their impact is unmistakable—cutting across artistic, curatorial, and institutional frameworks that continue to redefine the contours of contemporary art.