Basel, Switzerland – This year, Art Basel is set to spotlight artistic excellence with the Art Basel Awards 2025, recognizing 36 artists through a peer-driven selection process. Among them, up to 12 will be named Golden Medalists in three key categories: Emerging Artist, Established Artist, and Icon Artist.
Golden Medalists will receive unrestricted $50,000 honor awards. While emerging artists will gain financial recognition and international exposure, established artists will also be commissioned to create a large-scale public artwork, to debut at Art Basel in June 2026. Icon Artist awardees will see a $50,000 donation made on their behalf to an organization of their choosing, supported by Art Basel.
Winners will be officially revealed during the Art Basel Awards Ceremony in Miami Beach this December, celebrating Miami’s role as a global cultural capital.
A major milestone for the initiative is the inaugural Art Basel Summit, set for June 20 at the newly redesigned Hall 1 Auditorium in Basel. Open to the public, this full-day conference will feature panels, conversations, and tributes from key figures in the art world and beyond.
Highlights include:
A conversation between Chilean artist and poet Cecilia Vicuña and Elena Filipovic, director of Kunstmuseum Basel.
A roundtable led by Suhanya Raffel, M+ Director, honoring the late Koyo Kouoh, former Chief Curator at Zeitz MOCAA and curator of the 2026 Venice Biennale.
Talks with Joel Wachs, President of The Andy Warhol Foundation, and Formafantasma, design duo in conversation with Philip Tinari.
Backed by the Basel-Stadt Canton, the event aims to become a seedbed for cultural dialogue and transformation, enhancing Basel’s position not just in the art market, but on the frontlines of global cultural discourse.
With participation from 20 confirmed medalists and influential jury members, the Art Basel Awards Summit is poised to become an unmissable highlight for every Art Basel visitor this year.
Explore the full program and reserve your free spot now.
