Who Won the Turner Prize 2025 in Bradford?

The art world was buzzing last night as the winner of one of the biggest awards in contemporary art was announced. And the winner of the Turner Prize 2025 is… Nnena Kalu! The incredible artist took home the £25,000 prize at a glitzy ceremony in Bradford, which is buzzing this year as the UK City of Culture. The news, broadcast live, has sent ripples through the media. Kalu is known for her huge, colourful sculptures and energetic drawings, and the judges were seriously impressed. This is a massive moment for the London-based artist and a huge event for Yorkshire, cementing its place as a powerhouse for the arts.

What's the big deal about the Turner Prize?

So, what exactly is the Turner Prize and why does everyone get so excited about it? Think of it like the BAFTAs or the BRITs, but for artists. Established way back in 1984 and run by the Tate, it’s one of the best-known prizes for the visual arts in the world. It’s named after JMW Turner, a pretty radical painter from way back when, and it’s all about celebrating new developments in contemporary British art. Basically, it shines a massive spotlight on what’s happening in art right now.

Every year, a jury selects a shortlist of four artists who have put on an amazing exhibition or presentation of their work. Past winners are a who's-who of the art world, including names like Damien Hirst and Grayson Perry, plus artists like Richard Deacon and Richard Wright. Winning the prize can be life-changing for an artist. The award isn’t just about the money; it’s about the recognition and starting conversations about art across the country. It’s an international event that gets everyone talking, from art experts to people just dipping their toes into the art scene.

So, who is Nnena Kalu?

Nnena Kalu, the artist of the hour, was born in Glasgow in 1966 and now lives and works in London. For over two decades, she’s been a resident artist at ActionSpace’s studio, an amazing organisation that supports learning disabled artists. Working from her London studio, Kalu has developed a completely unique way of creating art that is bold, energetic, and impossible to ignore.

She’s not a newcomer to the scene, having had solo exhibitions in places like Hull and Glasgow, and her work has been included in group exhibitions from the Royal Academy of Arts to the Saatchi Gallery. Her nomination for the Turner Prize 2025 came from two major presentations: an installation in Barcelona as part of Manifesta 15 between 8 September and 24 November 2024, and a group exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, which runs from 19 October 2024 to 9 March 2025.

What does her winning art look like?

Imagine walking into a gallery and seeing huge, colourful, cocoon-like shapes hanging from the ceiling. That’s the kind of incredible sculpture Nnena Kalu creates. She starts with a simple frame and then wraps, folds, and knots all sorts of materials around it – we’re talking fabric, rope, parcel tape, and even old VHS tapes. The result is a vibrant, textured bundle of colour and form. It's a form of abstract art, meaning it doesn't try to look like something from the real world, but instead uses shapes and colours to create a feeling or an idea.

But that's not all. Kalu also creates massive drawings. Standing up, she uses pens, ink, and pastels to make swirling, spiralling shapes with repeated, rhythmic lines. Her large-scale drawing pieces often come in pairs or small groups and have a similar energy to her sculptures. The prize jury was blown away by her work. They praised her for turning expressive gestures into "captivating abstract sculpture and drawing." They loved her unique style, her skill with size and colour, and the powerful feeling her art has when you see it in person. This is contemporary art that truly makes an impact. She was nominated specifically for her powerful installation called *Hanging Sculpture 1-10*.

The big night in Bradford

The announcement wasn’t made in a stuffy London gallery. Instead, the Turner Prize 2025 ceremony took place at Bradford Grammar School, right in the heart of this year’s UK City of Culture. Bradford is having a massive year, celebrating its heritage and vibrant creative scene through hundreds of events and projects. Hosting the prize is a huge part of that celebration. The award was presented by none other than the Bradford-born magician Steven Frayne, who you probably know as Dynamo. It’s brilliant to see such a major international art prize getting out of London and connecting with different parts of the country.

The jury, chaired by Alex Farquharson from Tate Britain, had a tough job. The other shortlisted artists were Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa, who all created fantastic exhibitions. The jury congratulated all four nominees for their "unique and bold presentations," which offer a great snapshot of the exciting things happening in British contemporary art today.

Fancy seeing it for yourself?

You’re in luck! You can see work by Nnena Kalu and the other three shortlisted artists right now. The Turner Prize 2025 exhibition is on at the Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford, and it’s completely free to get in. The gallery, located in the lovely Lister Park, is home to a fantastic collection of art, including pieces by David Hockney, who also hails from Bradford.

The exhibition runs until 22 February 2026, so there’s plenty of time to plan a visit. It's open from Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 4pm, and on weekends from 10am to 6pm. The exhibition has already been a massive hit, with 34,000 people visiting so far. It’s a great chance to see some cutting-edge art and make up your own mind about the jury's choice. The exhibition was put together by a talented curator team, including Jill Iredale from Cartwright Hall Art Gallery and Michael Richmond, a curator from Yorkshire Contemporary.

Yorkshire's time to shine in the art world

Hosting the Turner Prize is a massive achievement for Bradford and the whole of Yorkshire. The year-long Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture programme is all about celebrating the people and creativity of the district. This partnership with Tate and support from organisations like Yorkshire Contemporary helps to put the region firmly on the international art map.

Yorkshire Contemporary is an organisation that supports artists across the region, helping them to create ambitious projects and exhibitions that get people talking. By bringing world-class contemporary art like the Turner Prize exhibition to the area, they're helping to nurture the next generation of creative talent. It’s clear that whether it's sculpture, painting, or drawing, the art scene in Yorkshire is thriving. And with the prize heading to MIMA in Middlesbrough in 2026, the North of England continues to be a major centre for the arts.