Sobey Art Award

Canada’s most prestigious contemporary art prize opens up to emerging artists of all ages.

Established in 2002, the Sobey Art Award aims to promote new developments in contemporary Canadian art and provide opportunities for artists, bringing them national and international attention.

Recognized as one of the world’s most generous privately funded prizes for contemporary visual artists, the Sobey Art Award is now open to emerging Canadian artists of all ages.

This year, a total of $400,000 in prize money will be awarded: $100,000 to the overall winner, $25,000 to each of the four other shortlisted artists, and $10,000 to each of the remaining twenty longlisted artists. In addition, the five shortlisted artists will be featured in an exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada in the fall of 2021.

I want to personally congratulate these five inspiring artists shortlisted for the 2021 Sobey Art Award. For 20 years the Sobey Art Foundation has been proud to support Canadian visual artists through this award, and we are excited to celebrate their exceptional work at the National Gallery of Canada this fall.