The ninth annual Women in Art Prize ceremony filled the Pigott Theatre at the British Library in London on 16 September with colour, creativity and celebration. Artists, curators, gallery directors, collectors and cultural leaders came together for an evening that honoured the breadth of women's artistic achievement across painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, digital and moving image.
Celebrating Emerging Voices
As the Prize approaches its tenth anniversary, its programme has grown well beyond an annual competition. What began as a platform for emerging female artists has evolved into a sustained network of awards, exhibitions, mentoring and international engagement — each strand designed to help artists develop their practices, gain real professional experience and reach new audiences.
The 2026 awards recognised talent across a spectrum of career stages and creative disciplines. From the Eve Arnold Photography Prize and the Fitzjohn's Mature Artist Prize to the Susan Angoy Artists of African & Caribbean Heritage Prize, each award reflects a different facet of women's artistic journeys today.
The 2026 Winners
This year's winners represented a remarkable range of artistic practice: 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 Painting Prize: Abby Hope Skinner, Vigil Several winners and finalists also received gallery awards, including the Georgina Pounds Gallery Award, presented to Nadia Zekouki Andres, Haohao Huang and Poppy Tingay. That award includes participation in the gallery's booth at Zona Maco Art Fair in Mexico City in February 2027.
The Daler-Rowney Young Woman in Art Prize
Daler-Rowney has been a proud supporter of the Young Woman in Art Prize, an award dedicated to artists aged 25 and under. This year's recipient, Nadia Zekouki Andres, was recognised for *The Weight of Rest* — a work that stood out to judges for its quiet intensity and material sensitivity.
The award was presented on stage by Nicky Della Mote, who also served on the WIAP 2026 judging panel. A curator with a long-standing commitment to emerging and underrepresented artists, Nicky is Head of International Social Commitment at Chanel. Her dual role as judge and presenter brought the panel's deliberations to life in front of the assembled audience.
Nadia receives £1,000 worth of professional art materials from the Daler-Rowney family of brands, alongside a one-week artist residency in Bracknell. The materials award is tailored to each winner's practice, allowing them to choose from a wide range of paints, papers, canvases and tools.
Artistic Awards, Artistically Made
A first for 2026: the ceremony introduced bespoke trophies created by British contemporary sculptor Gwenda Jones ARBSA. Each ceramic piece was individually handcrafted through making, glazing and multiple firings — conceived not as conventional awards but as works of art celebrating fellow artists' achievements.
Arngunnur Aegisdottir, Creative Director of Mall Galleries and Chairwoman of the Women in Art Prize, hosted the evening. Awards were presented by a distinguished group of figures from across the art world, including Alix Wilton Regan, Sophie Parker of Photo London, and Frieze Sculpture's Fatoş Üstek.
A Growing Network of Support
The 2026 programme is underpinned by a broad coalition of partners. Beyond Daler-Rowney's continued support of the Young Woman in Art Prize, the organisation works with Mall Galleries, Photo London, Hampstead School of Art, Printed Editions, The Eve Arnold Estate, and others to extend opportunities well beyond the single night of the ceremony.
Online, the Women in Art and Women in Art Prize platforms reach more than 530,000 followers internationally, with over 26 million monthly views. Through partnerships with COOC Arts & Culture at The Mandrake Hotel and the Synonym Gallery in Mexico City, prize winners and finalists gain exhibition opportunities that extend their reach into 2027 and beyond.
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
Looking Ahead to Year Ten
As the Women in Art Prize approaches its tenth anniversary, the 2026 programme demonstrates the organisation's evolution from a single annual awards night into a year-round network of support. Financial awards, professional materials, residencies, mentoring, exhibitions and international partnerships — each initiative addresses a different need for artists at different stages of their careers.
For Daler-Rowney, supporting the Young Woman in Art Prize represents an opportunity to put practical creative resources directly into the hands of emerging talent — not just through materials, but through dedicated residency time to experiment, grow and make. Congratulations to Nadia Zekouki Andres on winning the 2026 Daler-Rowney Young Woman in Art Prize for *The Weight of Rest*, and to all this year's winners and finalists. To find out more about the Women in Art Prize and its programme of awards and opportunities, visit https://womeninartprizecic.com.