The CHANEL Culture Fund has announced the recipients of its 2026 CHANEL Next Prize, an initiative that provides substantial grants to ten artists across various creative disciplines. Each selected artist will receive a generous award of €100,000, underscoring CHANEL's commitment to nurturing artistic talent and promoting diverse cultural expressions. This biennial program, established in 2021, aims to recognize individuals whose innovative work is redefining their respective fields and influencing the broader cultural landscape.
This year's diverse cohort of laureates represents a global spectrum of artistic practices, hailing from ten different countries. The esteemed list includes visual artist Álvaro Urbano, jazz innovator Ambrose Akinmusire, fashion visionary Andrea Peña, artist and filmmaker Ayoung Kim, designer Bárbara Sánchez-Kane, sound artist Emeka Ogboh, choreographer Marco da Silva Ferreira, experimental musician Pan Daijing, critically acclaimed filmmaker Payal Kapadia, and painter Pol Taburet. These individuals were chosen for their bold creativity and their ability to push boundaries within their art forms.
Beyond the financial endowment, the CHANEL Next Prize offers a comprehensive two-year mentorship and professional development program. This unique opportunity, developed in collaboration with CHANEL’s cultural partners like London’s Royal College of Art, provides artists with sustained support, enabling them to pursue ambitious projects without the constraints of typical project-based commissions. Yana Peel, CHANEL's President of Arts, Culture, and Heritage, emphasized that the prize is designed to empower trailblazers who are actively shaping the contemporary artistic discourse and forging the path for future cultural advancements. This echoes CHANEL's long-standing dedication to the arts, a legacy initiated by Gabrielle Chanel's patronage of avant-garde pioneers such as Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau.
Through its continued support of groundbreaking artists and its forward-thinking approach to cultural philanthropy, the CHANEL Culture Fund reinforces the idea that art is a powerful force for change and inspiration. By championing diverse voices and providing platforms for innovation, the fund contributes to a vibrant global cultural ecosystem, fostering creativity that not only reflects the present but also actively shapes a more imaginative and inclusive future.