Turner Prize 2025: Nnena Kalu crowned winner
Nnena Kalu has been crowned winner of the 2025 Turner Prize, becoming the first neurodivergent artist to win the prize.
The news was announced on December 9th during a ceremony at the Bradford Grammar School in Yorkshire, England. Kalu’s artistic facilitator, Charlotte Hollinshead, deemed the win a “major, major moment for a lot of people,” in an acceptance speech.
Hollinshead continued, “It’s seismic. It’s broken a very stubborn glass ceiling… Nnena’s career reflects the long, often very frustrating journey we’ve been on together…to challenge people’s preconceptions about differently-abled artists.”
Kalu was born in Glasgow in 1966. She works with repurposed materials, such as rope, fabric, and even VHS tape, to build cocoon-like forms through repeated wrapping. This results in considered and lively hanging sculptural installations.
Kalu has been a long-time resident artist of ActionSpace, a London-based art studio for disabled artists.
In the full nomination list shared in April, the jury commended her unique command of material, colour and gesture and her expressive responses to architectural space.
The jury specifically recognised her work from two exhibitions this year: Drawing 21, a 2021 piece on paper shown at a group exhibition at Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery. Additionally, they also recognised Hanging Sculpture 1 to 10. Barcelona, an installation that was featured in Manifesta 15 in Barcelona.
The London-based artist will receive £25,000. The other artists nominated for the prize, namely Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami and Zadie Xa, will each receive £10,000.
Moreover, the Turner Prize exhibition, featuring all four artists, will remain on view at Bradford’s Cartwright Hall Art Gallery until February 22nd, 2026.
The Turner Prize made news last year when the previous winner, Jasleen Kaur, used her acceptance speech to advocate for the people of Palestine while outside of the ceremony, protesters urging the Tate to cut ties with organisations implicit in the conflict in Palestine gathered.
