Turner Prize replaced by ten £10,000 bursaries for 2020 due to pandemic constraints

Tate has cancelled the 2020 Turner Prize, substituting it with ten one-off bursaries of £10,000 each for selected artists. Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain and jury chair, cited impractical exhibition logistics amid current circumstances as the reason, aiming to support more artists during a difficult period. He referenced JMW Turner's legacy of aiding artists and expressed disappointment for visitors, with the prize set to return in 2021. This marks the second consecutive year of format disruption, following 2019's controversial joint win by Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Helen Cammock, Oscar Murillo, and Tai Shani, which sparked debate over art prizes' competitive nature. The 2020 jury, including Richard Birkett of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, Sarah Munro of BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Fatoş Üstek of Liverpool Biennial, and designer Duro Olowu, viewed numerous shows pre-lockdown. Typically, jurors propose around four names each to form a shortlist, with a winner chosen at a ceremony meeting. The ten bursary recipients will be announced in late June. Traditionally, the prize awards £25,000 to one artist and £5,000 to three shortlisted others.