In a powerful debut marking a new era in artistic recognition, the Art Basel Awards have officially announced their 2025 Medalists — thirty-six trailblazing individuals and institutions celebrated for their boundary-breaking contributions to the contemporary art world. As the first global honors of their kind, the Art Basel Awards recognize excellence not only among artists, but across the full ecosystem that fuels creativity today: from curators and critics to designers, patrons, and institutions.
The inaugural class of honorees includes artists who have reshaped the art historical canon, pioneers at the intersection of sound and performance, and emerging talents blending digital media with urgent cultural critique. Equally spotlighted are foundational figures behind the scenes — studio managers, fabricators, and arts organizations whose efforts make contemporary art possible.
Among the distinguished 2025 Medalists:
- Lubaina Himid, British artist and Black Arts Movement pioneer, who will represent the UK at the 2026 Venice Biennale
- Adrian Piper, legendary conceptual artist challenging systems of power and identity
- Meriem Bennani, who merges digital satire with postcolonial insight
- Pan Daijing, an experimental sound artist fusing performance and installation
- Grace Wales Bonner, fashion designer redefining the space between diasporic storytelling and sartorial innovation
- Formafantasma, Italian design duo leading radical investigations into materiality and sustainability
- Candice Hopkins, Carcross/Tagish First Nation curator and Indigenous art historian advancing cultural narratives
- RAW Material Company, the influential Dakar-based art incubator and think tank founded by the late Koyo Kouoh
“The Art Basel Awards are not a competition, but a beacon,” said Vincenzo de Bellis, Chair of the Art Basel Awards and Director of Fairs & Exhibition Platforms at Art Basel. “They shine a light on those working with radical vision, skill, and commitment to building communities of practice and exchange.”
The awards span nine categories—Icon Artists, Established Artists, Emerging Artists, Cross-Disciplinary Creators, Patrons, Institutions, Curators, Allies, and Storytellers—setting a bold new standard for holistic recognition in the creative sector.
Medalists will be celebrated during Art Basel’s flagship fair in Basel, Switzerland in June 2025, and will also headline the first-ever Art Basel Awards Summit on June 20—a groundbreaking thought leadership conference in the business of art that will convene global figures across the visual arts and creative industries.
In a revolutionary move, the Art Basel Awards will also include a peer-nominated Gold Medal honor, in which this year’s Medalists will vote to elevate up to 12 recipients from among themselves. Half of those selected will be artists. This peer-driven process underscores the Awards’ core belief that the future of art is shaped not by institutions alone, but by networks of mutual respect, collaboration, and community.
Gold Medal Honors and Support
The Gold Medal distinction comes with substantial support:
- Emerging Artist Gold Medalists will receive $50,000 in unrestricted funding.
- Established Artist Gold Medalists will also receive $50,000, along with a major public commission debuting at Art Basel in 2026.
- Icon Artist Gold Medalists will direct a $50,000 donation to an organization of their choosing in their name.
These awards total nearly $300,000 in philanthropic support, tailored partnerships, and global visibility for artists working on the cutting edge of cultural transformation. Gold Medalists will be announced at the Art Basel Awards Official Night in Miami Beach, December 2025.
The Art Basel Awards are presented in collaboration with BOSS, the core brand of HUGO BOSS, further solidifying the fashion house’s longstanding support of artistic innovation and cross-cultural dialogue.
FULL LIST OF 2025 MEDALISTS
ICON ARTISTS
David Hammons, Lubaina Himid, Joan Jonas, Adrian Piper, Betye Saar, Cecilia Vicuña
ESTABLISHED ARTISTS
Nairy Baghramian, Tony Cokes, Cao Fei, Ibrahim Mahama, Delcy Morelos, Ho Tzu Nyen
EMERGING ARTISTS
Mohammad Alfaraj, Meriem Bennani, Pan Daijing, Saodat Ismailova, Lydia Ourahmane, Sofia Salazar Rosales
CROSS-DISCIPLINARY CREATORS
Formafantasma, Saidiya Hartman, Grace Wales Bonner
PATRONS
Shane Akeroyd, Maja Hoffmann, Joel Wachs
INSTITUTIONS
ART + PRACTICE, Jameel Arts Centre, RAW Material Company
CURATORS
Candice Hopkins, Shanay Jhaveri, Eungie Joo
ALLIES
Art Handlxrs*, Gasworks / Triangle Network, Sandra Terdjman
MEDIA & STORYTELLERS
Negar Azimi, Barbara Casavecchia, The Journal of Curatorial Studies
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As a landmark initiative, the Art Basel Awards aim not only to honor excellence, but to reshape the very frameworks by which artistic impact is recognized, setting a precedent for inclusive, collaborative, and forward-thinking support of creative innovation.
For more information and the full press dossier, visit ArtBasel.com.
Follow the journey of the Medalists and future announcements by following @artbasel.
