The Hopper Prize Fall 2026 Artist Grants

The Hopper Prize is a grant-making organisation and online archive that gives unrestricted cash grants to artists around the world. It runs two open calls a year, in spring and autumn, and selects grant winners and finalists purely on artistic excellence and the promise of future potential. For the Fall 2026 cycle, two artists will receive $4,500 and four will receive $1,000. Entry costs $40, and the deadline is 17 November 2026, 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

Since 2018 the Hopper Prize has funded artists working in all media, from emerging to mid-career and established.

What You Can Receive

• Two grants of $4,500 and four grants of $1,000, all unrestricted, so you can use the money however you choose
• A place in a shortlist of up to 30 artists whose work is archived on hopperprize.org
• The chance of an interview in the Hopper Prize journal, Insights into Contemporary Art
• A possible feature on the Hopper Prize Instagram account

Across both annual cycles, the programme funds 12 artists a year.

Who Can Apply for the Hopper Prize?

All artists aged 18 and older, working in any medium, from anywhere in the world. There are no restrictions on genre, subject matter or medium, and photographers are welcome. The organisers say they are committed to supporting artists from diverse cultural backgrounds at all stages of their careers.

How to Apply

The application is designed to be short and can be completed in under 20 minutes. You pay the $40 submission fee, then upload up to ten images of your work with basic information. You can choose to have your work considered for extra exposure on Instagram.

How Work Is Judged

After the deadline, submissions are shared with the jurors, who are arts professionals and institutional curators. They choose the winners and the shortlist, and their decision is final. Past recipients have gone on to show at galleries, art fairs, museums and biennials.

Is It Worth the Fee?

The programme charges a fee, as many independent prizes do, and only six of all applicants receive money in each cycle. Weigh the $40 against the size of the grants and the visibility of the shortlist, and enter with your strongest, most coherent work rather than a general sample.

Tips for Applying

Choose ten images that read as one clear body of work, and photograph them well, with accurate colour and no distracting backgrounds. If you work across media, show the work that best represents where your practice is going now.

Choosing Your Images

A focused selection works better than a survey of everything you make. Pick work from one series or one direction, show finished pieces rather than studies, and include an installation view if scale matters. If you are a photographer, choose images that hold together as a set. Check that each file is sharp, well lit and cropped to the work itself. Your name and the titles should be easy to match to the images, so the jurors can read your work as a whole.

Before You Pay

Have your images ready and resized before you start, as the application is quick once you have them.

Things to Consider

• $40 fee per application.
• Six grants in this cycle.
• Any medium, worldwide.
• Deadline: 17 November 2026.

Apply for a Grant

Ready to put your work in front of the jurors?

Apply for the Hopper Prize

The open call and application are on the Hopper Prize website.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: November 4, 2026