Tate Britain has announced the shortlist for this year’s Turner Prize, which spotlights four artists whose work “offers distinct perspectives through which to explore the world around us, and to reflect on our place within it”.
The nominees are Simeon Barclay, for his performance The Ruin, Kira Freije, for her first major solo exhibition Unspeak the Chorus and Marguerite Humeau, for her solo exhibition Torches, with the list completed by Tanoa Sasraku, for her solo exhibition Morale Patch.
An exhibition of the shortlisted artists’ works will be held at Teesside University’s Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) from 29 September 2026 to 29 March 2027. The winner will be announced with a ceremony at the gallery on 10 December.
Barclay’s The Ruin, the only performance to make the shortlist, merged spoken word with live percussion and drew on the artist’s upbringing in Huddersfield, along with his lived experience of the industrial landscape of northern England.
The jury praised the hour-long performance for its exploration of Britishness, class, race and masculine identity.
For Unspeak the Chorus – which exhibited at The Hepworth Wakefield – Freije used metal, fabric and found materials to create sculptures that explore universal human emotions.
The emotional depth of her work caught the jury’s attention and she has been praised for the haunting, expressive way she transformed the space through her arrangement of figures.
Humeau has been nominated for her solo show Torches, presented at ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art in Copenhagen, which the jury has hailed for its cinematic exhibition making, also praising Humeau’s engagement with ecological and existential themes.
Sasraku completes the shortlist having won plaudits for her exhibition Morale Patch, which was showcased at The Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.
Morale Patch explored geopolitical ideas through object-live sculptures, as well as works on paper and film. The jury has praised the precision and sophistication of the installation.
Now in its 42nd year, the Turner Prize aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art. The winner will be awarded £25,000, while the other shortlisted artists will receive £10,000 each.
Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain and chair of the Turner Prize jury, said: "This year’s selection presents a rich and diverse range of work, spanning installation and performance, and with a strong emphasis on sculptural practice.
“Each artist invites us into carefully constructed scenarios, both real and imagined, that offer distinct perspectives through which to explore the world around us, and to reflect on our place within it."
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