The AXA Art Prize is one of the leading student art competitions in the United States. The competition is open to any style of figurative paintings, drawings, and original printmaking created by undergraduate and graduate art students. The competition is built on the legacy of a related prize which ran in the UK for a decade. Now in its ninth year in the United States, the AXA Art Prize has established an excellent reputation as an insightful overview of the best new talent nationwide.
From nearly 600 submissions reviewed by our panel of Regional Jurors from educational institutions across the US, 40 students artists have been chosen as exhibition finalists from curators Laura Hoptman of the Drawing Center, Christopher Lew from C/O: Curatorial Space, independent curator, Monique Long, and Jasmine Wahi of Project for Empty Space. The exhibition will be on view this fall at the New York Academy of Art.
First and Second Prizes will be selected by our Prize Jury of world renowned artists Ann Craven, Amy Cutler, and Kiki Smith, alongside AXA XL’s Jennifer Schipf.
2026 Finalists
