South African Photographer Zanele Muholi Wins 2026 Hasselblad Award and $218,000

The Hasselblad Foundation has named South African photographer Zanele Muholi the 2026 Hasselblad Award laureate, the world’s largest photography award. Muholi has won SEK 2,000,000 (over $217,000 at current exchange rates), a gold medal, a Hasselblad camera, and a lengthy solo exhibition at the Hasselblad Center at the Gothenburg Museum of Art in Sweden.

“Zanele 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,” the Hasselblad Foundation explains.

Muholi was born in 1972 during apartheid in South Africa. Throughout Muholi’s career, they have been very cognizant of the power of narrative, storytelling, and imagery in the face of systemic oppression and violence.

The acclaimed photographer’s work embraces powerful, dynamic composition, exciting use of tone, and a strong visual language.

“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 Hasselblad Foundation continues.

“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,” the photographer says.

“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 honor 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 concludes.

Over their career, Muholi has done many influential, long-term projects, including Faces and Places (2006-), Only half the Picture (2003-2004), Brave Beauties (2014-), and a self-portrait series, Somnyama Ngonyama (Hail the Dark Lioness) (2018-). The longest-running project, Faces and Places, is considered among the most influential works in contemporary photography.

“It is with great pleasure that we award Zanele Muholi the 46th Hasselblad Award,” says Kalle Sanner, CEO of the Hasselblad Foundation. “In their artistic practice, Muholi combines photography with activism, creating powerful and significant works in which human rights are central. We look forward to presenting an extensive selection of their work this autumn at the Hasselblad Center.”

Muholi, represented by Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York and Southern Guild Gallery in Cape Town and New York, has had their work shown around the world at illustrious galleries and museums, including the Venice Biennale, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Maison Européenne de la Photographie Paris, Tate Modern, and many more.

Muholi’s solo exhibition at the Hasselblad Center, as part of this award, will open on October 10, 2026, and run through April 4, 2027. More of Muholi’s photographs are available on the Hasselblad Foundation website.

Image credits: © Zanele Muholi, Courtesy Yancey Richardson, New York, and Southern Guild, Cape Town