Turner Prize Winner Honored for 'Long Overdue' Triumph

A Historic Achievement for Nnena Kalu

Autistic artist Nnena Kalu has made history by being awarded the prestigious Turner Prize, an honor that has been celebrated as "long overdue" and "richly deserved." The 59-year-old Scottish artist, who communicates with limited verbal expression, is now the first artist with a learning disability to receive this esteemed award, which comes with a £25,000 prize.

Stephanie Tyrrell, head of arts and wellbeing at Sense, emphasized the significance of Kalu’s win. She stated, "Nnena’s sculptures are huge, beautiful and so impactful. Now she is finally being celebrated on the national and international stage – and it’s both richly deserved and long overdue." Tyrrell also highlighted that Kalu’s success demonstrates "what disabled people can achieve, given opportunities and support," urging that "talented disabled artists can no longer be overlooked."

Sense expressed hope that the 2025 Turner Prize would mark "a new beginning, where many more disabled artists are given the chance to shine."

A Milestone in Artistic Recognition

Kalu, a resident artist at ActionSpace’s studio, which supports learning disabled artists across London at Studio Voltaire, triumphed over fellow shortlisted artists Rene Matic, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa.

ActionSpace, with whom Kalu has worked since 1999, celebrated her win, noting: "Her Turner Prize win is not only a recognition of her extraordinary talent, but also a celebration of what long-term, artist-centred support can make possible for learning-disabled artists."

The artist received the award for her installation Hanging Sculpture 1-10, a piece commissioned by Manifesta 15 Barcelona for a disused power station, and her contribution to Conversations, a group exhibition at Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery.

A Unique Creative Process

Known for her large-scale abstract drawings and hanging sculptures, Kalu was presented with the prize by Steven Frayne, the magician formerly known as Dynamo, at a ceremony held in Bradford, this year’s UK City of Culture.

The jury, chaired by Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson, lauded Kalu’s "bold and compelling work," commending the "lively translation of expressive gesture" evident in her abstract sculptures and drawings, alongside her mastery of scale, composition, and colour.

During the emotional award ceremony, Kalu’s artistic facilitator, Charlotte Hollinshead, who assists her communication, hailed her as a "superstar," revealing that Kalu’s work is often created to disco music played "as loud as possible."

Overcoming Challenges and Prejudices

Hollinshead spoke passionately about the "long, often very frustrating journey" to challenge preconceptions about differently-abled and learning-disabled artists, who she described as "an important creative community, so undervalued." She highlighted Kalu’s personal struggle: "Nnena has faced an incredible amount of discrimination, which continues to this day, so hopefully this award smashes that prejudice away. Nnena Kalu, you’ve made history."

Hollinshead playfully added that Kalu was "ready to accept her call from the palace to accept her damehood," as the artist blew kisses to the audience.

Exhibition and Future Events

Works by all four Turner Prize finalists are currently on display at a free exhibition at Bradford’s Cartwright Hall Art Gallery until 22 February. The Turner Prize 2026 is scheduled to be held at MIMA, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art. Previous recipients include sculptor Sir Anish Kapoor (1991), artist Damien Hirst (1995), and filmmaker Sir Steve McQueen (1999).