Turner Prize 2019 nominees collectively accept award, sparking debate on competition format

At the 2019 Turner Prize ceremony in Margate, the four nominees—Helen Cammock, Oscar Murillo, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, and Tai Shani—jointly accepted the award as a collective, declaring themselves all winners. They argued that grouping their practices together was incompatible with a competition format that divides and individualizes. The jury enthusiastically endorsed this decision, which polarized opinion among commentators. Guardian critic Adrian Searle and Apollo writer Niru Ratnam supported the gesture as subverting an outmoded system, while others questioned its implications. This followed the Booker Prize's joint award to Margaret Atwood and Bernadine Evaristo, reflecting a growing sentiment against winner-based prizes. Tate director Maria Balshaw emphasized the nominees' shared commitment to collaborative, socially engaged work addressing urgent issues like inequality and injustice. However, critics noted that the artists still accepted the nomination and prize money, with Abu Hamdan later winning the £41,000 Edvard Munch Prize individually. The debate highlighted tensions between judging artistic quality and political gestures, with some arguing that prizes should celebrate artistic achievement rather than politics. The event was covered in an ArtReview online exclusive published on 13 December 2019.