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The Norval Sovereign African Art Prize aims to support leading artists
ART | AGENCIES | Ugandan artist Collin Sekajugo has been shortlisted among finalists for the 2025 Norval Sovereign African Art Prize.
The Norval Foundation and The Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) on Jan.10 revealed the names of 29 artists shortlisted as finalists.
The Norval Sovereign African Art Prize (NSAAP) 2025 sponsored by Schroders, is an annual award for contemporary artists from Africa and its diaspora. Schroders is a UK listed FTSE100 global investment management company.
Kondi Nkosi, country head South Africa at Schroders, the title sponsor, said of the partnership, “The award does an excellent job of promoting contemporary African art on the world stage and raising money for arts education programmes in Africa”.
A board of independent arts professionals – comprising curators, collectors, writers and academics who work closely with artists in their respective regions – nominated artists to enter the Prize; 29 finalists, representing 18 different nationalities, were then shortlisted by a panel of five world-class art specialists.
The panel includes Raphael Chikukwa, executive director of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe; Tim Marlow, chief executive and director at the Design Museum, UK; Same Mdluli, artist, art historian, curator and writer; Thato Mogotsi – Curator of Contemporary Art at Zeitz MOCAA, and Simon Njami – Independent Curator, Lecturer, Art Critic and Novelist.
The Norval Foundation is a centre for art and cultural expression located in Cape Town, South Africa. It is dedicated to the research, education and exhibition of 20th- and 21st-century visual art from Africa and its diaspora. Its co-sponsor of the NSAAP, the Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) is a charitable organisation that focuses on recognising, supporting, and promoting contemporary art talent, and bringing the proven benefits of expressive arts to disadvantaged children.
The Norval Foundation Museum director, Caroline Greyling, said: “Over the years, the prize has seen the participation of incredible artists from around the continent, and the 2025 year is no different, which includes 29 artists from 18 African countries. This competition exists to showcase the incredible talent of African artists, and we believe this year is a strong continuation of this goal.”
The Norval Sovereign African Art Prize aims to benefit leading artists living in Africa or of the African diaspora by celebrating their practices. It aims to benefit them by further increasing their exposure to an international audience whilst raising funds for arts education programmes on the continent.
Leading contemporary artists, nominated by a board of independent art professionals, are invited to enter artworks online. A judging panel comprised of global art specialists shortlist the 30 most accomplished artworks from the range of digital entries.
The shortlisted works are then exhibited at Norval Foundation where they are judged for a second time and voted on by the public. The judges’ scores are aggregated and a Grand Prize winner named, receiving US$35,000 (Approx. Shs130 million) in cash and a solo exhibition at Norval Foundation in future.
The Public Vote winner is awarded US$2,000. The other shortlisted artworks are auctioned through a charity auction. Proceeds split evenly between the artists and Norval Foundation’s Learning Centre.This year, Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins (FAMM) is co-currently sponsoring a special prize; the FAMM Women’s Prize, awarded to the highest rated female artist (excluding the Grand Prize Winner). The winner will get $5,000 in cash.
Christian Levett of FAMM said of this inaugural element of the prize that supporting the FAMM Women’s Prize within the Norval Sovereign African Art Prize embodies their commitment to restore the place that women artists deserve in art history, while championing the work of contemporary female creators.
“We aim to build an inclusive art history that celebrates cultural diversity and enriches the global narrative, allowing us to honour and elevate female artists in Africa whose work tells compelling stories of resilience, identity, and innovation.
The Prize aims to raise significant funds for the shortlisted artists and for Norval Foundation’s Learning Centre in an equal split through an online auction (4 February – 13 March 2025).
There will be an exhibition opening and auction launch on 4 February, and the winners announcement on 18 February 2025.
