Organizer Information
BBA Prizes is run by BBA Gallery, a gallery based in Berlin that has worked with and supported emerging to mid-career artists from around the world since 2017. The gallery describes its mission as opening doors within the art industry for artists, offering introductions to its professional network, and helping artists share their work internationally. BBA states that its annual prizes — which also include a Photography Prize, One Shot Award, and other open calls — are considered a potential starting point for a longer-term relationship with the gallery, and that entrants from the longlist through to the winners are seriously considered for gallery representation. BBA Gallery is also listed as a partner on Artsy, the online platform used for global exposure of prize winners and represented artists.
Title & Description
BBA Artist Prize 2027
The BBA Artist Prize is an annual open call from BBA Gallery in Berlin, open to artists working in any medium and around any theme. Entrants submit up to five artworks for consideration by a jury of industry professionals — including active international curators, collectors, and gallerists — who judge submissions on visual excellence, storytelling, conceptual thinking, technical craftsmanship, and subject depth. Longlisted and shortlisted artists are promoted through BBA's online channels, and shortlisted artists exhibit their work at BBA Gallery in Berlin, with a chance to win cash prizes, a solo exhibition, and an Artsy profile.
Categories
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Photography
- Ceramic
- Printmaking
- Fiber/Textile Art
- Video/Film
- Performance
- Multiple Disciplines
- Visual Arts
Eligibility
- International
- Applicants must be living artists aged 18 or older
- No restrictions on theme, training, nationality, or educational/social background
- Applicants represented by another gallery may still apply, but submitted artworks must be available for sale and not exclusively consigned with another gallery during the timeline of the prize and exhibition
- Relatives of jury members, gallery employees, or artists/photographers already exclusively represented by BBA Gallery are ineligible
- Applicants must be the sole creator and owner of submitted works, holding all moral and intellectual property rights
Program Benefits & Awards
- 1st Prize: €1,000 cash, an Artsy Profile, a Solo Exhibition at BBA Gallery, and online promotion (including newsletter, press, and social media features)
- 2nd Prize: €700 cash, an Artsy Profile, and online promotion (newsletter, press, social media)
- 3rd Prize: €500 cash, an Artsy Profile, and online promotion (newsletter, press, social media)
- Audience Award: €300 cash, an Artsy Profile, and online promotion (newsletter, press, social media)
- Longlisted artists (50 selected): promotion on BBA's website and social media, and a certificate of nomination
- Shortlisted artists (20 selected, drawn from the longlist): online promotion, inclusion in the physical Artist Prize exhibition in Berlin, and eligibility to compete for the cash prizes
- Works exhibited during the shortlist exhibition may be offered for sale, with proceeds split 50/50 between artist and gallery
Application Fee
€39 (Earlybird rate, currently open) per submission of up to 5 artworks; an additional fee is charged for each artwork submitted beyond five. The entry fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, and covers the entire upload rather than a single piece. No student or other discounts are currently offered.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 7 December 2026
Location
Berlin, Germany
Additional Details
- Selection proceeds in stages: a Longlist of 50 artists is chosen first, promoted via BBA's website and social media with a certificate of nomination; a Shortlist of 20 artists is then drawn from the longlist to exhibit in Berlin and compete for the prizes
- Shortlisted artists are responsible for the costs and logistics of shipping their work to and from Berlin; BBA Gallery insures artworks only while on-site during the exhibition and offers guidance, customs advice, and shipping-partner recommendations
- Prize winners receive separate contracts depending on their prize: solo-show winners sign a solo exhibition contract, while Artsy-profile-only winners sign a 12-month consignment agreement
- Jury and gallery decisions are final; BBA reserves the right to reject works deemed unsuitable for exhibition and to change or modify prizes, jury members, or terms before the award closes, with applicants notified of such changes
- Artists retain full copyright of submitted work, but grant BBA and prize partners a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use images for promotional purposes
- Conflicting source dates: the main Artist Prize 2027 landing page states a submission deadline of 07 December 2027, 23:59 CET, while the linked Terms & Conditions page (also headed "BBA Artist Prize 2027") states a submission deadline of 07 December 2026, midnight CET, and refers throughout to "the 2026 BBA Artist Prize." This appears to be an unupdated Terms & Conditions page carried over from the prior year's cycle; applicants should confirm the current deadline directly with BBA before submitting.