Zanele Muholi Makes History with the 2026 Hasselblad Award, the most prestigious honour in global photography, in recognition of a lifetime of radical visibility and resistance.
Johannesburg, South Africa – In a landmark moment that reverberates from Umlazi townships to the world stage, the Hasselblad Foundation has named Zanele Muholi the 2026 Hasselblad Award laureate – the first Black queer South African to receive photography’s highest global accolade.
The Hasselblad Award is universally regarded as the most significant prize in the history of the medium. It is accompanied by a gold medal and a Hasselblad camera, the award recognises lifetime achievement and transformative impact. In addition, Muholi will be honoured with a major solo exhibition at the Hasselblad Center in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 10 October 2026 to 4 April 2027, alongside a week of historic events including a formal award ceremony, an orchestral concert, a book launch, and an artist talk at Moderna Museet in Stockholm.
The Hasselblad Foundation’s official citation reads:
“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. Born during the apartheid regime, they are highly aware of the power of narration in the face of systematic violence. Muholi’s photographs are formally compelling, employing composition, colour, greyscale, and lighting to create an adept visual language that holds both strength and vulnerability. The portraits foreground individuals with a direct and dignified gaze, challenging prejudice and discrimination while creating alternative visual histories. 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.”
Joyful Zanele Muholi says,
“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. 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 honour 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.”
This victory is not simply an award, it is a seismic affirmation that Black queer lives in South Africa are not peripheral, not footnotes, but central to the story of humanity and the future of visual culture. For a country still healing from apartheid and confronting ongoing violence against LGBTQIA+ people, Muholi’s win sends an unbreakable message: our stories will be seen, our dignity will be recorded, and our archive will endure.
“It is with great pleasure that we award Zanele Muholi the 46th Hasselblad Award. 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.” Kalle Sanner, CEO of the Hasselblad Foundation, concludes.
Zanele Muholi is a South African visual activist whose photographic practice centres Black LGBTQIA+ lives. Their work has been exhibited internationally, including at Tate Modern, the Venice Biennale, and documenta. Muholi is the founder of the Muholi Art Institute (MAI).
The Hasselblad Foundation promotes education and research in photography and the natural sciences, fostering photographic advancement through its international award, exhibitions and scholarly initiatives.
