South African visual activist Zanele Muholi has won the 2026 Hasselblad Award, one of the most prestigious photography prizes in the world.
Muholi stands as one of the most influential contemporary photographers, with an impact that reaches far beyond the art world. They use portraiture to articulate and celebrate the presence, depth, and dignity of the Black LGBTQIA+ community in South Africa and the rest of the world.
Announcing Muholi as the winner of this year’s award the Hasselblad Foundation said the photographers work was compelling.
“Born in 1972 during the apartheid regime, they are highly aware of the power of narration in the face of systematic violence. Muholi’s photographs are formally compelling, employing composition, colour, greyscale, and lighting to create an adept visual language that holds both strength and vulnerability.
“The portraits foreground individuals with a direct and dignified gaze, challenging prejudice and discrimination while creating alternative visual histories. Activism and community work is an integral part of their practice, which combines political urgency and formal mastery, making Muholi a central figure in global queer visual culture.” the foundation said.
Accepting the award Muholi said they shared it with the many people’s whose lives and stories they’ve captured.
“This prize is not mine alone. I carry it with the many faces, names, and histories that have trusted me with their stories. From Umlazi to every space where Black LGBTQIA+ people continue to fight to exist freely, this recognition affirms that our lives are worthy of being seen – not as statistics, not as shadows, but as full human beings.
“For years, my work has been about visibility and resistance. It has been about creating an archive so that no one can say, ‘We did not know.’ When this honour comes, I receive it on behalf of my community; those who have been erased, those who are still here, and those who are yet to see themselves reflected with dignity.” Muholi said.
The award is the biggest photography prize in the world. It consists of SEK 2,000,000 (AUD 307,200), a gold medal, and a Hasselblad camera.
The laureate is honoured with a solo exhibition at the Hasselblad Center from 10 October 2026 until 4 April 2027, along with a series of events during Hasselblad Award Week in Gothenburg, including a seminar in collaboration with the County Administrative Board of Västra Götaland; a concert with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra; an exhibition opening; a book launch; a formal award ceremony on 9 October and an artist talk at Moderna Museet in Stockholm on 13 October.
The award was announced in early March.
