Deadline: March 1, 2026
Applications are open for the UN OHCHR International Contest for Minority Artists 2026. On the occasion of minorities day – the anniversary of the adoption in 1992 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities – UN Human Rights (OHCHR) and its partners announce the launch of the fifth edition of the International Contest for Minority Artists (2026). The 2026 theme of the Contest is War and Reconciliation.
Minority artists can play a key role in advancing peace, transitional justice, mutual understanding and reconciliation. Artists document war and conflict by preserving memories, humanizing victims, and challenging official narratives through mediums such as painting, photography, sculpture, installations, digital arts, film, music and dance. Their work can evoke empathy, provoke thought, and serve as a powerful form of protest and a tool for healing and shaping public discourse at all stages of conflict, as well as long after the cessation of open hostilities.
Award Categories
Up to eight, non-hierarchical awards total will be made in the following categories:
- Main Award
- Minority Youth Artist (reserved for artists under the age of 35 and preferentially younger than 24 as of 1 March 2026)
- Minority Community Engagement (reserved for artists whose work actively involves or benefits the wider community, including by demonstrating a strong participatory and/or community mobilization dimension).
Eligibility
- Artists who self-identify as belonging to a national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minority are invited to submit high-quality electronic images of five works of art related to the 2026 theme of the International Contest for Minority Artists.
- Women and LGBTQI+ artists belonging to minorities are particularly encouraged to apply.
Application
The application form requests information about the artist or artists submitting, as well as a vision statement explaining links between the artworks submitted and the theme of War and Reconciliation. The application form also requests several affirmations, including consent to be recognized publicly, in the event of a successful application. Consent provided may be withdrawn at any time.
For more information, visit UN OHCHR International Contest for Minority Artists.
