In London, Chanel Rewards Ten Contemporary Artists With the Next Prize 2026

Awarded for the third time since 2021, the CHANEL Next Prize honored ten artists on January 19 for their work in visual arts, performance, design, music, and film. The prize is awarded to artists nominated anonymously by an advisory committee of 25 international figures from the world of arts and culture, representing various disciplines ranging from film to visual arts.

All hailing from different countries, the winners receive €100,000 in unrestricted funding to help them realize their artistic projects, as well as the opportunity to join a two-year mentoring and networking program with renowned cultural partners such as the Royal College of Art in London.

“The CHANEL Next Prize creates the conditions for artists to thrive on their own terms. Each winner is a trailblazer shaping the now and defining the next with creativity and audacity. Following their journeys will be nothing short of thrilling,” said Yana Peel, President of Arts, Culture & Heritage for Chanel, in a statement from the brand.

Ten names are thus propelled onto the international art scene: American musician and composer Ambrose Akinmusire, known as one of the most talented trumpeters of his generation; Marco Da Silva Ferreira, Portuguese dancer and choreographer, winner of the first season of So You Think You Can Dance Portugal in 2010; Pan Daijing, Chinese artist and composer, whose work has been presented in world-renowned institutions; Payal Kapadia, Indian filmmaker, twice nominated for a Golden Globe and winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes for her film All We Imagine as Light in 2024; Ayoung Kim, South Korean visual artist known for his technological achievements, including “Body^n,” commissioned for the 2025 Perform Biennale; Emeka Ogboh, Nigerian visual artist who has brought to life immersive installations and projects that engage the five senses; Andrea Peña, Colombian choreographer and artist, founder of her own company of artists and dancers in Canada; Bárbara Sánchez-Kane, a Mexican artist and designer whose work was exhibited at the 60th Venice Biennale; Pol Taburet, a French visual artist who exhibited at the 36th São Paulo Biennial last year; and Álvaro Urbano, a Spanish visual artist famous for his plant-inspired works, which have been featured in numerous solo and collective exhibitions.

This cultural award once again illustrates the brand's commitment to artistic patronage in France and internationally, notably through its cultural fund, the CHANEL Culture Fund. Last July, after supporting the Grand Palais, the Cinémathèque Française, the Palais Galliera, and the Comédie-Française, Chanel launched its own magazine dedicated to art and culture (Chanel Arts & Culture Magazine). Then in October, it also extended its partnership with the Centre Pompidou in Paris, currently undergoing renovation, for three years, strengthening the museum's contemporary Chinese art collection.