Who Are the 2025 Turner Prize Nominees?

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The nominees for this year’s Turner Prize have been announced, with four names each with a chance to take the prestigious visual arts award presented annually to a British-based artist ‘for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work’.

Nnena Kalu, Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa are all in the running, with the final winner to be revealed on 9 December at a ceremony in Bradford.

Before then, an exhibition of the artists’ work will open at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery from 27 September 2025 to 22 February 2026 as part of Bradford’s U.K. City of Culture celebrations.

Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain and chair of the Turner Prize jury, said the four names prove the spirit of innovation is alive and well in the British art scene.

‘The shortlist reflects the breadth of artistic practice today, from painting and sculpture to photography and installation, and each of the artists offers a unique way of viewing the world through personal experience and expression.’

So who are the four names up for Britain’s biggest art prize?

Nnena Kalu

The jury commended Glaswegian artist Nnena Kalu (b. 1966), who has limited verbal communication and is a member of learning disability group ActionSpace, for her ‘command of material, colour, and gesture and her highly attuned responses to architectural space’.

Kalu creates large-scale swirling drawings and hanging sculptural installations shaped after cocoons and wrapped in bright layers of cellophane.

Rene Matić

The jury praised photographer Rene Matić (b. 1997) for their ability to express concerns around belonging and identity.

The Peterborough-born artist, whose work explores right-wing populism and identity, is the second youngest person to be nominated for the award, after Damien Hirst.

Mohammed Sami

The jury selected painter Mohammed Sami (b. 1984) for his ‘powerful representation of war and exile, exhibited against the backdrop of Blenheim Palace’.

The Iraqi artist, who lived in Sweden as a refugee and is now based in London, is known for haunting landscapes that explore ‘absent bodies and their memories’.

Zadie Xa

While the jury commended the ‘sophisticated development’ in the work of Zadie Xa (b. 1983), who was nominated for her installation at Sharjah Biennial 16.

The Korean Canadian artist was singled out for her ‘reflective and enchanting’ practice, including works that incorporate elements of Korean folklore within elaborate multimedia installations.

Since 1984, the Turner Prize has aimed to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art.

Last year’s award went to Jasleen Kaur, who decorated a vintage Ford Escort with worship bells and Irn-Bru, celebrating her Scottish Sikh community. —[O]

Main image: Left to right: Zadie Xa (Courtesy Thaddaeus Ropac; Photo: Charles Duprat); Mohammed Sami (Photo: Sarel Jansen); Rene Matić (Courtesy the artist and Arcadia Missa, London; Photo: Diana Pfammatter); Nnena Kalu (Courtesy the artist and ActionSpace).