The list of the 2026 Erarta Prize nominees has been unveiled on 17 December. The total prize value of 3.5 million rubles will be fully allocated towards supporting the artists and distributed among the nominees according to the viewers’ vote.
The Erarta Prize is an annual contemporary art prize judged by the viewers. For the Prize’s fourth edition in 2026, Erarta will once again encourage its visitors to select their favourite artwork according to their own choices and preferences. The museum will curate the contestants’ exhibition (select the exhibits and stage the actual show), but will neither take part in determining the winners nor invite other experts from the professional community to do so.
A total of 40 artists will compete for the 2026 Erarta Prize. Each of them will receive a guaranteed reward that will depend on their exact ranking determined by the two rounds of viewer vote. The first round will last from 6 February through 20 April: at this stage, the viewers will select 10 artists who will qualify for the second round and compete for a larger prize and, ultimately, the Grand Prix. The second round is scheduled to start on 21 April and come to a close on 3 June. The final results and winners of the 2026 Erarta Prize will be announced on 4 June at the gala awards ceremony.
For the 2026 edition of the Prize, all nominated artists will enjoy the opportunity to sell their works featured in the exhibition through the agency of Erarta Museum. This means that from now on the viewers not only have their say in the prize money distribution but can also purchase their favourite artwork, lending additional support to its creator. All nominated exhibits that are sold prior to the awarding of the Prize will remain on display for the duration of the show and will be transferred to their new owners only after the project’s results are announced. Please inquire with the Erarta Prize Curatorial Team for more information.
Launched in 2023, the Erarta Prize was justly awarded the title of Project of the Year in the Arts Category by the Delovoy Peterburg daily business newspaper. The enthusiastic feedback received from everyone involved – artists and viewers alike – keeps this project going. The past Erarta Prize nominees continue to actively collaborate with the museum: some of their works were added to Erarta’s permanent collection, and several artists were invited by the Curatorial Team to have their solo exhibitions at Erarta, more than a dozen of which have been staged already. We are looking forward to new exciting discoveries!
Erarta Museum invites everyone to take an active part in staging the exhibition and determining the winners of the 2026 Erarta Prize. This is going to be unmissable!
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