The Turner Prize 2025 shortlist has officially been announced by Tate, unveiling a diverse group of four pioneering artists: Nnena Kalu, Rene Matic, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa. Their works—spanning sculpture, photography, painting, and immersive installation—will be showcased in a special exhibition at Bradford’s Cartwright Hall Art Gallery from 27th September 2025 to 22nd February 2026, as a highlight of the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture celebrations. This year’s shortlist reflects a powerful mix of personal narrative, cultural identity, and innovative artistic expression, underscoring the Turner Prize’s ongoing role in shaping contemporary British art.
Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain and Chair of the Turner Prize Jury, said:
‘It’s an honour to announce this fantastic Turner Prize shortlist – congratulations to all the nominees. 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. On JMW Turner’s 250th birthday, I’m delighted to see his spirit of innovation is still alive and well in contemporary British art today, and I look forward to an unmissable exhibition of their work in Bradford this autumn.’
Nnena Kalu
Nominated for her presentation as part of Conversations at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool and Hanging Sculpture 1 to 10 at Manifesta 15, Barcelona. Kalu makes cocoon-like shapes out of paper and textiles which are then bound, layered and wrapped in brightly coloured cellophane and tape to create expressive hanging sculptural installations. Her work is rooted in a process of repeated gestures, as seen in her abstract swirling, drawings on paper. The jury commended her unique command of material, colour and gesture and her highly attuned responses to architectural space.
Rene Matic
Nominated for their solo exhibition AS OPPOSED TO THE TRUTH at CCA Berlin. Matic captures fleeting moments of joy in daily life, and expressions of tenderness within a wider political context. Their work includes highly personal photographs of family and friends in stacked frames, paired with sound, banners, and installation. The jury were struck by the artist’s ability to express concerns around belonging and identity, conveying broader experiences of a young generation and their community through an intimate and compelling body of work.
Mohammed Sami
Nominated for his solo exhibition After the Storm at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire. Sami is best known for his large-scale paintings which explore memory and loss. Sami layers pattern and colour to create haunting, dreamlike scenes, drawing on his life in Baghdad during the Iraq War and as a refugee in Sweden. Devoid of people, he paints empty landscapes, interiors and items of furniture as metaphors for absent bodies and their memories. The jury praised the artist’s powerful representation of war and exile, exhibited against the backdrop of Blenheim Palace.
Zadie Xa
Nominated for her presentation Moonlit Confessions Across Deep Sea Echoes: Your Ancestors Are Whales, and Earth Remembers Everything with Benito Mayor Vallejo at Sharjah Biennial 16. Interweaving painting, mural, textile and sound, Xa’s work focuses on the sea as a spiritual realm to explore traditions and folklore, speaking to a multitude of cultures. Her vibrant installation blended a soundscape with ethereal paintings, bojagi patchwork and an interactive sculpture of over 650 brass wind chimes inspired by Korean shamanic ritual bells. The jury felt that this cohesive work was a sophisticated development of Xa’s reflective and enchanting practice.
The Turner Prize, one of the world’s most renowned awards for visual art, was established in 1984 to spark public conversation around contemporary British art. Named after the groundbreaking painter J.M.W. Turner (1775–1851), the prize is awarded annually to a British artist for an exceptional exhibition or presentation. The winner receives £25,000, with £10,000 granted to each of the shortlisted artists.
The 2025 Turner Prize is a highlight of Bradford 2025: UK City of Culture—a year-long celebration of the city and its district. From January to December, the programme will feature performances, exhibitions, and events inspired by Bradford’s rich industrial heritage, scenic landscapes, and vibrant, diverse communities.
The 2025 jury includes Andrew Bonacina (Independent Curator), Sam Lackey (Director, Liverpool Biennial), Priyesh Mistry (Associate Curator, The National Gallery), and Habda Rashid (Senior Curator, Fitzwilliam Museum). The jury is chaired by Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain.
MORE: tate.org.uk/art/turner-prize
