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About The Grange Prize
The Grange Prize was launched in 2008 with a mandate to recognize the best in Canadian and international contemporary photography. A unique partnership between the Art Gallery of Ontario and Aeroplan, The Grange Prize aims to engage the public in a vital discourse about the power and prevalence of photography in our world today through public exhibitions, voting, and online dialogue.
Each year, The Grange Prize works with an international partner country to form a nominating jury of curatorial and scholarly experts, who select a shortlist comprising four photographers - two from Canada, and two from the partner country. Previous partner countries include China, Mexico, the United States and India.
The Grange Prize is Canada's largest photography prize, granting a total of $65,000 to photographic artists each year: $50,000 to the winner, and $5,000 to each of the runners-up. Each of the four shortlisted artists participate in a residency-exchange sponsored by the prize - the Canadian artists travel to the partner country, and the international artists travel to Canada - with the goal of creating new work supported by the Grange Prize.
The Grange Prize is the only major Canadian art prize voted on by the public, who can view works by the shortlisted artists at The Grange Prize Exhibition, held exclusively at the AGO this year.
Artist Selection
The Grange Prize Nominating Jury serves to nominate four living photographic artists - two from Canada and two from a partner country - for excellence in the medium. The Grange Prize recognizes that contemporary photography includes a broad range of diverse practices and places no limitations on approach, subject matter, technology, or presentation.
Each year, an Art Gallery of Ontario curator is appointed lead curator for The Grange Prize. In partnership with a photographic expert from the international partner country, a nominating jury of four is selected, comprised of the lead curator, the international expert, and one additional representative each from Canada and from the partner country. Jury members can be other curators, academics, writers, or collectors - the only criterion is that each jury member must possess a noted expertise in contemporary photography.
The shortlist is determined through specific criteria set by The Grange Prize. Each of the four jurors is required to bring several potential nominees to the table. The shortlist is finalized when following a two day meeting, the jury unanimously agrees on four outstanding photographic artists - two from Canada, and two from the partner country.
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