Art Basel has announced the 33 medalists for the 2026 Art Basel Awards, its annual global honors program celebrating artists, curators, institutions, and other practitioners shaping the cultural landscape today.

This year’s list features a significant number of Southeast Asian talents: in the Cross-Disciplinary Creator category, Kulapat Yantrasast—the Los Angeles-based Thai architect behind Bangkok’s Dib Museum, who is also overseeing the design of the forthcoming Kontempo – Center for Contemporary Art in Manila—was nominated alongside American artist, musician, and filmmaker Laurie Anderson and South African architect Sumayya Vally, pointing to the intersections between contemporary art and other creative fields. The Established Artist category includes Thai film director, screenwriter, and producer Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Argentinian-born Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, as well as Cuban artist María Magdalena Campos-Pons and American artists Arthur Jafa, Theaster Gates, and Julie Mehretu. The finalists in this category are known for their evocative works across various media that engage with questions of history, identity, and memory while confronting stylistic and social conventions. 

Meanwhile, the Emerging Artist category spotlights Abu Dhabi-born photographer Farah Al Qasimi, Uzbek visual artist Aziza Kadyri, Hong Kong-born artist-filmmaker Tiffany Sia, Paris-based multidisciplinary artist Carla Gueye, Italian artist-filmmaker Diego Marcon, and Nigerian American artist Precious Okoyomon. In their research-driven practices, they explore themes of migration and belonging, as well as ecological and political issues. 

Curators were also recognized for their globally engaged approaches to exhibition-making: Azu Nwagbogu, Stuart Comer, and Diana Campbell. Last year, Campbell served as the artistic director of the inaugural Bukhara Biennial in Uzbekistan, “Recipes for Broken Hearts.” 

Finally, among the nominees in the Museum and Institution category, Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Biennale Foundation was lauded for developing innovative modes of cultural production and exchange. 

In a press release, Vincenzo de Bellis, chief artistic officer and global director of Art Basel Fairs, said: “The Awards are designed to capture a broad cross-section of the ecosystem, grounded in the belief that meaningful progress depends on exchange across disciplines and perspectives. From emerging voices to established figures, the 2026 cohort represents those advancing some of the most compelling and forward-looking ideas in the industry today, setting the foundation for future generations  and expanding what the art world can become.”

The medalists will be honored at the forthcoming edition of Art Basel in Basel, Switzerland, in June, with gold awardees to be announced later in December at Art Basel Miami Beach. Each gold award comes with over USD 250,000 per year to support honorariums, philanthropic contributions, and major public commissions, among other opportunities. 

Emmanuelle Richter is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.