Six artists shortlisted for 2026 Sobey Art Award
The National Gallery of Canada, along with the Sobey Art Foundation, has announced the six artists nominated for the 2026 Sobey Art Award: Melaw Nakehk'o from Circumpolar, Samuel Roy-Bois from the Pacific, Audie Murray from the Prairies, Lotus L. Kang from Ontario, Caroline Monnet from Québec, and Shane Perley-Dutcher from the Atlantic. Each artist will receive C$25,000, and the winner, to be revealed on November 14 in Ottawa, will take home C$100,000. Their work will be displayed in an exhibition at the National Gallery later this year. Additionally, the 24 artists on the longlist will earn C$10,000 each. It's worth noting that four finalists have First Nations backgrounds, and the jury, headed by Jonathan Shaughnessy, praised their inventive use of materials. Recent winners include Tania Willard (2025) and Nico Williams (2024).
Key facts
- Six finalists announced for 2026 Sobey Art Award
- Finalists: Melaw Nakehk'o, Samuel Roy-Bois, Audie Murray, Lotus L. Kang, Caroline Monnet, Shane Perley-Dutcher
- Grand prize of C$100,000 ($72,000) awarded November 14 in Ottawa
- Each finalist receives C$25,000 ($18,000)
- Exhibition at National Gallery of Canada later in 2026
- 24 longlisted artists each receive C$10,000 ($7,200)
- Four of six finalists are of First Nations ancestry
- Lotus L. Kang featured in 2024 Whitney Biennial and Bvlgari Pavilion at Venice Biennale
Entities
Artists
- Melaw Nakehk'o
- Samuel Roy-Bois
- Audie Murray
- Lotus L. Kang
- Caroline Monnet
- Shane Perley-Dutcher
- Tania Willard
- Nico Williams
- Kablusiak
- Divya Mehra
- Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory
- Brian Jungen
- Jonathan Shaughnessy
- Rob Sobey
- Séamus Gallagher
- Anahita Norouzi
- Michèle Pearson Clarke
- Gabrielle L'Hirondelle Hill
- Pamela Edmonds
- Eve-Lyne Beaudry
- Wanda Nanibush
- Haema Sivanesan
- Matthew Hyland
- Cecilia Alemani
- Jordan Bennett
- Jon Rafman
- Kapwani Kiwanga
- Joy T. Arcand
- Jeneen Frei Njootli
- Josée Drouin-Brisebois
- Heather Igloliorte
- Jean-François Bélisle
- November Paynter
- Kristy Trinier
- Melanie O'Brian
- Séamus Kealy
Institutions
- Sobey Art Foundation
- National Gallery of Canada
- Sobey Art Award
- University of British Columbia Okanagan
- Shadbolt Foundation
- Vancouver Art Gallery
- Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montréal
- Hessel Museum of Art
- Whitney Biennial
- Bvlgari Pavilion
- Venice Biennale
- Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
- Sobey Art Award foundation
- Dalhousie Art Gallery
- Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
- Art Gallery of Ontario
- Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
- Contemporary Art Gallery
- High Line Art
- Artnews
- Concordia University
- Musée d'art de Joliette
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Toronto
- Southern Alberta Art Gallery
- Simon Fraser University Galleries
- Salzburger Kunstverein
Locations
- Canada
- Ottawa
- Yellowknife
- Regina
- Montréal
- New Brunswick
- Venice
- Boston
- Atlantic
- Québec
- Ontario
- Prairies and the North
- West Coast & Yukon
- Halifax
- Toronto
- Banff
- Vancouver
- New York
- Atlantic region
- Quebec
- Prairies
- North
- West Coast
- Yukon
- Joliette
- Alberta
- Austria