Making history this year, Nnena Kalu has become the first artist with a learning disability to win Turner Prize, the UK’s most high-profile art award.
Presented in a ceremony on Wednesday, the judges praised the “bold and compelling work” and “powerful presence” of Kalu’s pieces, including brightly coloured sculptures and drawings.
Speaking on-stage, Charlotte Hollinshead, who has worked with Kalu for 25 years, summed up the significance of her win, saying: “This is a major, major moment for a lot of people. It’s seismic. It’s broken a very stubborn glass ceiling.”
“This amazing lady has worked so hard for such a long time. It’s wonderful she’s finally getting the recognition she rightly, rightly deserves,” added Hollinshead.
Kalu, 59, is an autistic, learning disabled artist with limited verbal communication but known for working while playing loud disco music. Born in Glasgow and based in London, she’s been gradually gaining recognition for her art after working as a resident artist with Action Space, an organisation which supports artists with learning disabilities.
Along with the Turner prize’s acclaimed recognition, Kalu’s victory also means she receives the £25,000 ($50,000 AUD) prize money.
Two of her works were considered for the prize. One piece includes a series of vividly coloured structures,made by wrapping materials into cocoon-like structures (Hanging Sculpture 1-10). The other piece is a graphite-and-pen drawing (Drawing 21) that was part of a group exhibition showcasing Black and non-binary artists at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool earlier this year.
Chair of the Turner Prize jury and director of Tate Britain, Alex Farquharson said that Kalu’s win “begins to erase [the] border between neurotypical and neurodiverse artist. You suddenly become aware that actually it’s been a boundary around our history, and around contemporary art. But that boundary is dissolving.”
Four artists were shortlisted for the Turner Prize, and their works are all currently on display at the prize’s exhibition until 22 February 2026.
The other nominees were Rene Matić, Zadie Xa and Mohammed Sami, who will receive £10,000 each.