The Walters Prize, New Zealand's most prestigious contemporary art award, returns to Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in 2024.
Named in honour of pioneering modernist New Zealand painter Gordon Walters (1919–1995), the Walters Prize is awarded for an outstanding work of contemporary New Zealand art produced and exhibited during the past two years. The biennial prize aims to make contemporary art a more widely recognised and debated feature of cultural life.
Artists are nominated by a panel of New Zealand-based jurors and the four finalists are invited to present their nominated works (or versions thereof) at the Gallery in a public exhibition. The winner is selected by an international judge and the NZ$50,000 prize is awarded by that judge in person at a dinner held in honour of the prize.
Previous winners and nominees form a long list of important and influential artists who continue to make an impact both in New Zealand, Oceania, Asia Pacific and Europe. Several finalists, including Lisa Reihana, Simon Denny, Francis Upritchard, Jacqueline Fraser, et al and Peter Robinson, have represented New Zealand at the Venice Biennale.
Over two decades, the artists’ presentations have responded to diverse cultural and political issues, reflecting trends in contemporary art practice across a broad range of media from painting, photography and installation to video and time-based media.
A key feature of the Walters Prize is the invitation of a distinguished international judge. This leading contemporary art figure brings an invaluable external perspective to the process and presents all the nominees and participants an opportunity to engage in a wider contemporary art discourse.
Key dates for 2024 Walters Prize:
September 2023 Finalists announced
July–November 2024 Exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
International judge announced
October 2024* Walters Prize Dinner and Award announcement
*Date TBC