Major cultural awards in 2023 recognized internationally renowned artists. At a ceremony on November 10, the prestigious Kyoto Prize, Japan’s highest private award for lifetime achievement in the arts and sciences, was awarded to Mumbai-based Nalini Malani for “bring[ing] the voice of the voiceless to more people” in her multimedia practice. The honor came with a JPY 100 million (USD 680,000) cash prize from the Inamori Foundation.

Many other awards came with six-figure cash prizes. Indian photographer Gauri Gill won the CHF 100,000 Prix Pictet photography and sustainability award. The sixth Ithra Art Prize selected Saudi artist Obaid Alsafi as its winner for his site-specific sculptural installations, granting USD 100,000. The biannual Norway-based Lise Wilhelmsen Art Award was given to multidisciplinary artist Alia Farid. Korean-Dutch artist Sara Sejin Chang was named laureate of the Theodora Niemeijer Prize for female artists. In 2024, the EUR 100,000 Wolfgang Hahn Prize from the Cologne’s Museum Ludwig will be awarded to the 77-year-old Egyptian-Armenian artist Anna Boghiguian.