Launched in 2003, The Sovereign Asian Art Prize increases the international exposure of artists in the region while raising funds for programmes that support disadvantaged children using expressive arts.
Held annually, The Prize is now recognised as the most established and prestigious annual art award in Asia-Pacific.
The Prize invites contemporary artists, nominated by a board of independent art professionals, to each enter up to three artworks online. A judging panel comprised of world-class art experts then shortlists the 30 best artworks from a range of digital images. Click here for T&Cs.
The shortlisted artworks are exhibited in Hong Kong. Members of the public can enjoy the artworks and engage in the public vote. Local students are offered the opportunity to engage in educational programming.
At the exhibition, the artworks are judged for a second time and voted on by the public. The judges scores are aggregated, and a Grand Prize winner is named.
To increase exposure for the artists, the general public are invited to cast a vote online or in person for their favourite shortlisted artwork. The most popular artwork is awarded the Public Vote Prize.
The shortlisted artworks, besides the Grand Prize winner, are auctioned and proceeds are split evenly between the artists and SAF’s expressive arts programming. Click here to learn more about the cause.
Artists receive the same split as they would through a gallery and the artworks often fetch higher prices thanks to generous bidding from charity patrons.
There are two cash prizes available to shortlisted artists. In addition, all finalists enjoy increased international exposure, top tier media coverage, and the opportunity to exhibit their work publicly in Hong Kong.
Awarded to the artist with the highest aggregated score from the judges.
Awarded to the artist with the most votes from the public.
“It is an incredible honour to be awarded The 2024 Sovereign Asian Art Grand Prize. I am thrilled and deeply grateful for this recognition. This award is a significant milestone for my career, and I am profoundly appreciative and thankful for the acknowledgment and support. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Adeel Uz Zafar for nominating me and believing in my practice. It is a huge privilege to showcase my work on the prestigious platform provided by The Sovereign Art Foundation“
“I am absolutely thrilled to have been awarded the Vogue Hong Kong Women’s Art Prize Winner. I would like to extend the gratitude to Kurt Chan my nominator, the Sovereign Art Foundation team and esteemed judges for understanding me. Finally, of course to Vogue who supports this prize. It’s not easy to be an artist, and it’s even more difficult to do it in a woman’s body. Thank you for recognising that”
“Staying true to oneself and fearlessly facing physical and mental challenges have been fundamental to my practice. This award marks a memorable moment in my career. I wholeheartedly dedicate this Vogue Hong Kong Women’s Art Prize to all incredible women who exhibit unwavering dedication to artistic pursuits and achieve in every role we undertake.”
“It is a moment of great pride and honour for me to receive this award, which in the past has nominated and awarded artists who have distinct and inspiring practices… I would like to add here that I do not come from an art background, and I started practising art much later in life. I took many detours before I realised that it’s only through art that I can live a life I desire for myself – a life that is truly independent.”
“I’m thrilled to be this year’s Sovereign Asian Art Prize Public Vote Prize Winner. I am very proud to be part of this great platform for the region’s art and artists, and grateful for the opportunity to engage with the Asian art community in Hong Kong – the heart of the continent.”
There are numerous benefits to participating artists, including:
Entry to the Prize is by nomination only. If you wish to enter, we recommend you connect with one of our regional nominators and ask them to consider nominating you.
In order to be eligible for the Prize, we require that artworks adhere to the following:
We are always looking to expand our network of nominators. Nominators should have a certain expertise in art from Asia-Pacific, and have no commercial affiliation with their nominees. To apply to be a nominator, please get in touch.
It is free for artists to enter the Prize online. Once shortlisted, artists are responsible for any production costs associated with their shortlisted artwork. Artists are also responsible for their own shipping costs to Hong Kong. For details, please read section 6.2 of our T&Cs.
Proceeds from artwork sales are spilt equally between the artist and The Sovereign Art Foundation. We use our portion to help fund our expressive arts programmes for children from low-income backgrounds and with special educational needs. Learn more about our mission here.
