The Women in Art Prize has announced the winners of its 9th Annual Awards, celebrating women artists across painting, photography, sculpture, printmaking, digital art and moving image, with new opportunities for international exhibitions, residencies and artist development.
The winners of the 9th Annual Women in Art Prize (WIAP) have been announced following a celebratory awards ceremony at the Pigott Theatre at the British Library in London on 16 September 2026.
As the Women in Art Prize approaches its tenth anniversary, the 2026 edition continues its mission to support women artists through financial awards, exhibitions, residencies, mentoring, professional development and international exchange.
This year’s awards recognised artists working across a diverse range of practices, from painting, photography and sculpture to printmaking, digital and moving image, while an expanded programme of prizes created opportunities extending well beyond the awards themselves.
Culturalee founder and editor Lee Sharrock was on the judging panel and will be interviewing the winning artists.
Women in Art Prize 2026 Winners
The Digital & Moving Image Prize was awarded to Yichu Li for Yichu 1.0, while Yang Zhou received the Eve Arnold Photography Prize for Faërie V.
The Sculpture Prize went to Abi Joy Samuel for So Very Far Off, Lie More Ruins, and the Printmaking Prize was awarded to Deborah Hercun for Ombrello.
International practice was represented by Sierra Merda, winner of the Overseas Artist Prize for VVITCH, while Nadia Zekouki Andres received the Young Woman in Art Prize for The Weight of Rest.
The Fitzjohn’s Mature Artist Prize was awarded to Jane Andrews for Something Dreadful This Way Comes, while Venetta Nicole won the Tim May Mentoring Programme Award for Faraway.
The Susan Angoy Artists of African & Caribbean Heritage Prize went to Eve Morrison for I Have a Dream. Vanessa Mitter received the Hampstead School of Art Abstract Painting Exhibition Prize for Flowers for Anna Akhmatova – You Will Hear Thunder.
Other winners included Leena McCall, whose Still Life with Marigolds (Self-Portrait) won the Square Feet Gallery Exhibition Prize, and Michele Ashby, winner of the Hosking Houses Trust Residency Prize for Quietly Becoming.
The Brigitta Spinocchia Freund Future Collectible Prize was awarded to Rafaela de Ascanio for Las Dos Caras de Rafaela.
The Georgina Pounds Gallery Award was presented to Nadia Zekouki Andres, Haohao Huang and Poppy Tingayfor The Weight of Rest; The Weight of Your Lightness; She Feels Tiny in the Morning.
Claudia Robles-Gil received the Women in Art Prize x Synonym Gallery Artist Development Award for Los Mariachis de Xochimilco, while Abby Hope Skinner won the Painting Prize for Vigil.
Beyond the Cash Prize: Creating Opportunities for Artists
One of the defining features of the Women in Art Prize is its emphasis on creating longer-term opportunities for artists rather than simply recognising individual works.
The Eve Arnold Photography Prize, Digital & Moving Image Prize and Overseas Artist Prize each included £1,000 awards. The Sculpture Prize also offered £1,000 alongside an exhibition opportunity at The Mandrake Hotel in London.
The Fitzjohn’s Mature Artist Prize included £2,000 and the opportunity to create a bespoke artwork for Fitzjohn’s new show apartment in Hampstead.
The Painting Prize offered a fully funded one-week artist residency in Morocco, including flights and accommodation, valued at £2,900. Meanwhile, the Susan Angoy Artists of African & Caribbean Heritage Prize included £2,000 and a place on the Tim May Mentoring Programme with artist Sharon Walters.
For emerging artists, the Young Woman in Art Prize, supported by Daler-Rowney, offered £1,000 worth of professional art materials together with a one-week residency in Bracknell.
Other awards focus on exhibition opportunities and international exchange, including the Printmaking Prize with Printed Editions, the Square Feet Gallery Exhibition Prize in Marylebone and the Hosking Houses Trust Residency Prize in Warwickshire.
The Georgina Pounds Gallery Award also offers an international platform, with participation in the gallery’s booth at Zona Maco Art Fair in Mexico City in February 2027.
A new partnership for 2026, the Women in Art Prize x Synonym Gallery Artist Development Award, offers an emerging woman artist based in Mexico the opportunity to produce a commissioned public artwork in Mexico City, exhibit with Synonym Gallery and participate in Mexico City Art Week 2027.
We are incredibly proud to continue expanding the opportunities we offer artists. From financial awards to international residencies and mentoring, our goal is to create lasting impact and meaningful pathways for women in the arts.” Gabrielle du Plooy, Director of the Women in Art Prize
Celebrating Artists Through Art
The 2026 ceremony also saw the unveiling of a new set of bespoke Women in Art Prize trophies created by British contemporary sculptor Gwenda Jones ARBSA.
Each unique ceramic sculpture was handcrafted through a process of making, glazing and multiple firings. Conceived as artworks in their own right, the trophies reflect the Prize’s wider commitment to celebrating artists through art.
The evening was hosted by Arngunnur Aegisdottir, Creative Director of Mall Galleries and Chairwoman of the Women in Art Prize.
Leading Voices from the Art World Present the Awards
The awards were presented by a group of figures from across the art and cultural sectors.
The Digital & Moving Image Prize was presented by BAFTA-nominated actress and BAFTA-winning executive producer Alix Wilton Regan, while the Eve Arnold Photography Prize was presented by Sophie Parker, Director of Photo London, and Michael Arnold, Director of the Eve Arnold Estate.
The Sculpture Prize was presented by independent curator, writer and Frieze Sculpture curator Fatoş Üstek.
Other presenters included Michael Liberman, founder of Printed Editions; Nicky Della Mote, Chanel’s Head of International Social Commitment; Susan Angoy; Anat Sherman of Hampstead School of Art; Daniel Leon, founder and director of Square Feet Architects; Carole Manship, Trustee of the Hosking Houses Trust; Brigitta Spinocchia Freund; Georgina Pounds; and Rosso Emerald Crimson, the first Women in Art Prize winner, who presented the Painting Prize.
The 2026 judging panel was chaired by Gabrielle du Plooy, Director of the Women in Art Prize, and brought together curators, gallery directors, collectors, museum and arts professionals and artists representing organisations including Mall Galleries, Saatchi Yates Gallery, Photo London, Chanel, Synonym Gallery, The Art Academy, Hampstead School of Art and Spinocchia Freund.
Building an International Platform for Women Artists
The Women in Art Prize is continuing to develop opportunities for its winners and finalists beyond the annual awards ceremony.
Through its partnership with COOC Arts & Culture at The Mandrake Hotel, WIAP presents exhibitions and artist presentations featuring Prize winners and finalists. These collaborations provide opportunities for artists to reach new audiences, collectors and cultural leaders.
Founded as a Community Interest Company, the Women in Art Prize is dedicated to supporting, celebrating and elevating women artists through awards, exhibitions, mentoring and international engagement. The Prize supports artists working across painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, illustration, digital and moving image.
The organisation says that Women in Art and Women in Art Prize have a combined social media community of more than 530,000 followers, generating more than 26 million monthly views and connecting artists and audiences internationally.
With its tenth anniversary approaching, the 2026 awards underline the Prize’s increasingly international approach: combining recognition with practical opportunities designed to support artists’ careers beyond the moment of winning.
Full list of 2026 Women in Art Prize Winners
Digital & Moving Image Prize — Yichu Li, Yichu 1.0
Eve Arnold Photography Prize — Yang Zhou, Faërie V
Sculpture Prize — Abi Joy Samuel, So Very Far Off, Lie More Ruins
Printmaking Prize — Deborah Hercun, Ombrello
Overseas Artist Prize — Sierra Merda, VVITCH
Young Woman in Art Prize — Nadia Zekouki Andres, The Weight of Rest
Fitzjohn’s Mature Artist Prize — Jane Andrews, Something Dreadful This Way Comes
Tim May Mentoring Programme Award — Venetta Nicole, Faraway
Susan Angoy Artists of African & Caribbean Heritage Prize — Eve Morrison, I Have a Dream
Hampstead School of Art Abstract Painting Exhibition Prize — Vanessa Mitter, Flowers for Anna
Akhmatova – You Will Hear Thunder
Square Feet Gallery Exhibition Prize — Leena McCall, Still Life with Marigolds (Self-Portrait)
Hosking Houses Trust Residency Prize — Michele Ashby, Quietly becoming
Brigitta Spinocchia Freund Future Collectible Prize — Rafaela de Ascanio, Las Dos Caras de Rafaela
Georgina Pounds Gallery Award — Nadia Zekouki Andres; Haohao Huang; Poppy Tingay, The Weight of Rest; The Weight of Your Lightness; She Feels Tiny in the Morning
Women in Art Prize x Synonym Gallery Artist Development Award — Claudia Robles-Gil, Los Mariachis de Xochimilco
Painting Prize — Abby Hope Skinner, Vigil
Partners & Sponsors
The 2026 ceremony was supported by Pomelle Spritz and Wild Idol as official drinks sponsors, alongside partners and supporters including Artpakk, Artter Magazine, Bridgeman Images, Brigitta Spinocchia Freund, Burgh House, Creative Flair, Daler-Rowney, Fitzjohn’s, Gillian Jason Gallery, Hampstead School of Art, Hosking Houses Trust, The Eve Arnold Estate, Fabric Magazine, Flux Exhibition, Georgina Pounds, Printed Editions, Mall Galleries, SQFT Space, The Art of Seeing, TAP Galleries, Zebra One Gallery and Susan Angoy.
Winners Gallery. 9th Women in Art Prize. Photographs by Twiggles
