CURATORIAL PRIZES 2026: WINNERS ANNOUNCED
We are delighted to announce the winners of this year’s Association for Art History’s Curatorial Prizes.
Helen Chadwick: Life Pleasures at The Hepworth Wakefield is winner of the Curatorial Prize for Exhibitions, and the team also won the Curatorial Prize for Writing for the book of the same name which accompanied the exhibition.
The winning exhibition, curated by Laura Smith (Artistic Director, The Hepworth Wakefield) and Farah Dailami (Assistant Curator, The Hepworth Wakefield), was praised by the panel for the rigorous research and archival recovery work undertaken on Chadwick’s work and life, and how this informed an effective narrative within the exhibition. The visual coherence of the exhibition, as well as the overall excellence of the project, were highly regarded by the panel.
The exhibition’s accompanying publication, Helen Chadwick: Life Pleasures, edited by Laura Smith also won the Curatorial Prize for Writing. The catalogue was praised for its vigorous and new scholarly research presented in a very accessible way, with a variety of perspectives represented in the essays that, in sum, built up to a compelling picture of a compelling artist. The panel noted that the book broadened the subject and practice of art history in an important way.
The Exhibitions judging panel highly commended curators Zehra Jumabhoy, Lecturer in the History of Art, University of Bristol and Exhibitions Officer Katy Freer at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea, for the exhibition Tigers & Dragons: India and Wales in Britain.
In the Writing category, the panel highly commended As Hardly Found: Art and Tropical Architecture, edited by Albert Brenchat Aguilar.
Congratulations to all the individuals and organisations who contributed to the above projects.
“With our Curatorial Prizes we seek to recognise the stellar work taken on by UK curators and academics in creating projects of scholarly merit for the public. The range and quality of the projects submitted for the prize was truly impressive and we are pleased to honour the several projects that were chosen among them. We are very grateful to our esteemed panellists who thoughtfully assessed each project and acknowledged curatorial excellence in its selections. With them, we celebrate the achievements of the curators who led the projects and the value they bring to the lives of audiences and readers in the UK and beyond.”
Gregory Perry, CEO Association for Art History
Curatorial Prize Ceremony and Panel Discussion
23 June, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Free, booking essential
Winners and highly commended entrants will be formally recognised at our Curatorial Prize Ceremony and Panel Discussion on Tuesday 23 June, 6.30pm (arrivals from 6pm) – 8.30pm at The Gallery, 70 Cowcross Street, London.
The evening will include discussion and celebration, bringing together leading curators for a panel on peer-to-peer partnerships, the AAH Curatorial Prizes 2026, and a drinks reception.
Poppy Bowers (Senior Curator of Exhibitions, The Whitworth, University of Manchester) and Priyesh Mistry (Associate Curator of Modern & Contemporary Projects, National Gallery, London) will be in conversation, moderated by Stephanie Straine (Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, National Galleries of Scotland) and Sarah Lea (Independent Curator).
The discussion will explore collaborative curatorial models, focusing on their work with Wangechi Mutu as the 2026 National Gallery Contemporary Artist Fellow, which will culminate in a major new commission and exhibition presented across London and Manchester in 2027–28.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the expert panels for their thoughtful assessment of the submissions:
Exhibitions Panel
Caroline Campbell – Director, National Gallery of Ireland
Tristram Hunt – Director, V&A Museum
Sook Kyung Lee – Director, Whitworth Art Gallery and Professor of Curatorial Practice, The University of Manchester
Sarah Munro – Artistic Director/CEO, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
Curatorial Writing Panel
Gillian Malpas – CEO, Modern Art Press
Christine Riding – Director of Collections and Research, National Gallery
Fatoş Üstek – Independent Curator and Writer
Kamini Vellodi – Head of Painting, Royal College of Art
Image: Installation image of Helen Chadwick: Life Pleasures, 17 May – 26 October 2025, The Hepworth Wakefield. Photography Michael Pollard.