Turner Prize 2025 shortlist announced: Nnena Kalu, Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami and Zadie Xa

Yorkshire Contemporary are delighted to be working in partnership with Bradford 2025, Tate and Bradford District Museums & Galleries to co-curate the Turner Prize 2025. 

Tate today announced the four artists who have been shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2025: Nnena Kalu, Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami and Zadie Xa. An exhibition of their work will be held at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery from 27 September 2025 to 22 February 2026 as a major moment in the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture celebrations. The winner will be announced on 9 December 2025 at an award ceremony in Bradford.

Nnena Kalu

Nominated for her presentation as part of Conversations at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool and Hanging Sculpture 1 to 10 at Manifesta 15, Barcelona. Kalu makes cocoon-like shapes out of paper and textiles which are then bound, layered and wrapped in brightly coloured cellophane and tape to create expressive hanging sculptural installations. Her work is rooted in a process of repeated gestures, as seen in her abstract swirling, drawings on paper. The jury commended her unique command of material, colour and gesture and her highly attuned responses to architectural space.

Rene Matić

Nominated for their solo exhibition AS OPPOSED TO THE TRUTH at CCA Berlin. Matić captures fleeting moments of joy in daily life, and expressions of tenderness within a wider political context. Their work includes highly personal photographs of family and friends in stacked frames, paired with sound, banners, and installation. The jury were struck by the artist’s ability to express concerns around belonging and identity, conveying broader experiences of a young generation and their community through an intimate and compelling body of work.

Mohammed Sami

Zadie Xa 

Nominated for her presentation Moonlit Confessions Across Deep Sea Echoes: Your Ancestors Are Whales, and Earth Remembers Everything with Benito Mayor Vallejo at Sharjah Biennial 16. Interweaving painting, mural, textile and sound, Xa’s work focuses on the sea as a spiritual realm to explore traditions and folklore, speaking to a multitude of cultures. Her vibrant installation blended a soundscape with ethereal paintings, bojagi patchwork and an interactive sculpture of over 650 brass wind chimes inspired by Korean shamanic ritual bells. The jury felt that this cohesive work was a sophisticated development of Xa’s reflective and enchanting practice.

One of the world’s best-known prizes for the visual arts, the Turner Prize aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art. Established in 1984, the prize is named after the radical painter JMW Turner (1775-1851) and is awarded each year to a British artist for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work. The Turner Prize winner will be awarded £25,000 with £10,000 awarded to the other shortlisted artists.

The members of the Turner Prize 2025 jury are: Andrew Bonacina, Independent Curator; Sam Lackey, Director, Liverpool Biennial; Priyesh Mistry, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Projects, The National Gallery and Habda Rashid, Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Fitzwilliam Museum. The jury is chaired by Alex Farquharson, Director, Tate Britain.

Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain and Chair of the Turner Prize Jury, said: ‘It’s an honour to announce this fantastic Turner Prize shortlist – congratulations to all the nominees. The shortlist reflects the breadth of artistic practice today, from painting and sculpture to photography and installation, and each of the artists offers a unique way of viewing the world through personal experience and expression. On JMW Turner’s 250th birthday, I’m delighted to see his spirit of innovation is still alive and well in contemporary British art today, and I look forward to an unmissable exhibition of their work in Bradford this autumn.’

Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, said: ‘Having an internationally renowned event like the Turner Prize here in Bradford is a landmark moment for our city. It’s a powerful opportunity to welcome visitors from across the UK and beyond, and to showcase everything that makes Bradford such a dynamic and culturally rich place. Each of the nominees has a remarkable ability to take huge subject matters and abstract themes, and turn them into powerful, shared experiences. We believe that audiences will connect deeply with the diversity of vision, ideas, and approach of these exceptional artists. We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Tate, Bradford Museums & Galleries, and Yorkshire Contemporary to bring this prestigious event to the beautiful Cartwright Hall Art Gallery.’

Hayley Dixon, Director, Yorkshire Contemporary, said: ‘Congratulations to Nnena Kalu, Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami and Zadie Xa on being shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2025. We are so excited to be working with the artists to bring their incredible projects to Cartwright Hall as part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, working in partnership with Tate and Bradford Museums & Galleries. Our thanks go to the jury for their work in making these selections. Yorkshire has such a wealth of contemporary art talent, it feels very fitting to be helping to realise this prestigious exhibition in the county. The Turner Prize offers an opportunity to engage in world class contemporary art; this shortlist represents exciting and engaging new conversations that match the unique energy of the Bradford 2025 programme.’

Find out more about The Turner Prize coming to the district of Bradford

Produced by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. Delivered in partnership with Tate, Bradford District Museums & Galleries and Yorkshire Contemporary.

Turner Prize 2025 is supported by The John Browne Charitable Trust and The Uggla Family Foundation.