Nico Williams Wins Canada’s Sobey Art Award

Montreal-based Aamjiwnaang First Nation artist Nico Williams, known for his beadwork, has been named the winner of theSobey Art Award, presented annually by the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) in conjunction with the Sobey Art Foundation. The prize is Canada’s most prestigious art honor, and one of the world’s largest monetary artawards. News of the artist’s win was announced November 9 at a ceremony at the Ottawa institution. Williams, who is representing Quebec, will receive C$100,000 (about $72,000). Runners-up Taqralik Partridge (representing the Circumpolar region), Mathieu Léger (Atlantic), June Clark (Ontario), Rhayne Vermette (Prairies), and Judy Chartrand (Pacific) will each receive C$25,000 (roughly $18,000), while twenty-four longlisted artists will be awarded C$10,000 ($7,200 apiece). The work of Williams and that of the five shortlisted artists is on view through April 6, 2025, at the NGC.

“The jury felt compelled to recognize the undeniable energy and pertinence of Nico Williams’ approach to contemporary sculptural beadwork that allows us to imagine new possibilities for the medium,” said Jonathan Shaughnessy, director of curatorial initiatives for the NGC and chair of the 2024 Sobey Art Award jury, in a statement. “His impeccably precise artworks transform everyday objects to the level of the spectacular and weave personal experiences into broadly relatable narratives. Working with and through community, Williams’ practice challenges the persistence of colonial legacies through the surfacing of collective memory and shared nostalgias.”

“It’s with immense gratitude to receive the 2024 Sobey Award,” said Williams, who was longlisted for the prize’s 2022 iteration, in a statement. “Ten years ago, one of the most influential role models, Nadia Myre, received this prize. I want to send out the same message to all the bush kids out there, we are doing it! Also, I am extremely grateful to all the people who have stood behind my practice since the very beginning! I wouldn’t be where I am today without you! Chi-miigwech!”