터너 프라이즈 Turner Prize

Each year the Turner Prize jury shortlist four artists for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation. The prize was first awarded in 1984. It was founded by a group called the Patrons of New Art under the directorship of Alan Bowness. They formed to encourage wider interest in contemporary art and assist Tate in acquiring new works. They felt that Britain should have its own award for visual arts, an equivalent to the Booker Prize.

IT’S GIVEN TO ‘A BRITISH ARTIST’ The Turner Prize is awarded to a British artist. ‘British’ can mean an artist working primarily in Britain or an artist born in Britain working globally.

The prize focuses on their recent developments in British art rather than a lifetime's achievement.

THERE IS AN INDEPENDENT PANEL OF JUDGES EACH YEAR Tate selects a new panel every year. The panel includes gallery directors, curators, critics and writers. At least one member is from abroad. This balances those who focus on British art or who work in Britain with those who see British art in a broader context. The jury isn't paid but get a small amount to cover expenses.

its NAME comes from J.M.W. TURNER The nineteenth-century artist J.M.W. Turner was a figure who had been innovative and controversial in his own day. One critic commented that his work Schloss Rosenau was 'the product of a diseased eye and a reckless hand.' Today he is considered to be one of the greatest British artists. Turner had wanted to establish a prize for young artists himself.

The public can nominate an artist Every year, the public can submit an artist nomination on the Tate website. The jury selects the shortlist from their own nominations and those of the public.

THE PRIZE HAS NO AGE LIMIT But this wasn't always the case. In 1991–2016 the prize had an age limit of 50. This played an important role in introducing the work of emerging artists. The lift of the age restriction recognises that artists can experience a breakthrough in their work at any age.

The AWARD IS £40,000 £25,000 goes to the winner and £5,000 each goes to the other shortlisted artists.

The jury decides the winner on the day of the announcement The decision is made through a series of discussions until they arrive at a consensus.

The above content has been excerpted from https://www.tate.org.uk/art/turner-prize