Impact Award 2024

The Prince Claus Fund Impact Award is presented biannually to six outstanding recipients whose contributions to art and culture engage their communities in innovative and impactful ways while addressing urgent contemporary issues. The dedication and commitment demonstrated by this year’s recipients in addressing pressing political concerns deserve global recognition and celebration. The 2024 awards were announced during the Impact Award Ceremony that took place at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam on December 3, 2024.

Regarded as one of the most prestigious honours in the realm of arts and culture globally, the recipients are awarded with a monetary prize to foster free and valued cultural expression, paving the way for an equitable, peaceful, sustainable and inclusive future. In the words of Marcus Desando, Prince Claus Fund Executive Director: “In times of global crises, it has been the work of such cultural practitioners and activists that drives us forward, as their selfless work advocates for social change through the power of culture”.

Meet the recipients of the Impact Award 2024: 
Mu Cao, a self-taught poet and fiction writer based in China whose poetry is at once mischievous and serious, provocative and introspective, hilarious and heartbreaking.

Myrlande Constant, a visual artist from Haiti, celebrated as one of the first women to work with Vodou drapo, a traditional Haitian flag art, historically practiced by men.

Nguyễn Trinh Thi, a filmmaker and artist from Vietnam whose work delves into the legacies of colonialism, war and how to counteract the erasure of indigenous Vietnamese cultures.

Rosa Chávez, a poet and activist from Guatemala whose multidisciplinary work explores themes such as family, migration, rural and urban environments and the body. 

Sana Na N’Hada, a filmmaker from Guinea-Bissau whose work chronicles the historical and social struggles of his homeland.

Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi, also known as crazinisT artisT, a multidisciplinary artivist, curator, mentor, and philanthropist from Ghana who has developed her practice in the sphere of performance.

The recipients have been carefully handpicked by an international jury of five inspiring individuals. The Jury members come from a diverse range of backgrounds, disciplines, and localities, bringing a wealth of experience and unique perspectives to the selection process. This year’s jury is led by chair Pablo Leon de la Barra, a curator and researcher based in Mexico. Joining him are Kettly Mars, a previous awardee, novelist and poet based in Haiti; Anocha Suwichakornpong, a filmmaker and screenwriter based in Thailand; Sammi Baloji, a photographer and visual artist based in Belgium; and Avni Sethi, an interdisciplinary practitioner and leader in the South-Asian arts scene based in India. Further information about the 2024 Impact Award Jury can be found here.

Jury member and previous Impact Awardee Kettly Mars emphasises the importance of this year’s awardees stating that “The practice of art is the place of resistance against the natural inclination towards self-destruction of human beings. This year’s Impact Awardees continue this work of resistance by tirelessly going against the grain of destructive narratives, prejudices, and phobias.”  

More information on the Prince Claus Impact Award, Awardees and Jury Board can be found here.