The International Artist Award is a global initiative by the Arts to Hearts Project dedicated to recognizing exceptional emerging and mid career artists whose work demonstrates excellence, originality, and a meaningful contribution to contemporary visual culture.

Created with the intention of building a lasting platform for professional recognition, the award offers artists an opportunity to be acknowledged within a carefully curated international context that values both creative distinction and meaningful visibility.

The inaugural edition of the International Artist Award brought together 100 selected artists from across the world, whose works were published in the first edition of The Great Book of Artmakers, a beautifully produced hardcover publication featuring celebrated artist Olaf Hajek as the cover artist. Conceived as both a curated publication and a collectible volume, the book introduced a compelling cross section of contemporary practice, spanning painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, digital work, installation, and interdisciplinary approaches.

For the 2026 edition, the award continues this vision with renewed focus and greater ambition, inviting submissions from artists whose practices reflect technical excellence, conceptual depth, and a distinctive voice.

All submissions are reviewed through a considered selection process by a panel of art professionals, with attention given not only to merit, but also to the originality, clarity, and cultural relevance of each body of work. The intention is to identify artists whose practices contribute meaningfully to contemporary discourse and demonstrate strong potential for wider recognition.

The 100 selected artists will be published in the second edition of The Great Book of Artmakers, establishing their place within an annual publication that is steadily becoming a respected record of contemporary creative talent. More than a showcase, the book serves as a thoughtfully edited archive designed for collectors, curators, galleries, institutions, and readers with a serious interest in emerging contemporary work.

Through the International Artist Award, the Arts to Hearts Project continues its commitment to creating substantive opportunities for artists worldwide by combining recognition, publication, and international visibility within a single distinguished platform.

The International Artist Award is not simply an open call. It is an editorially driven initiative dedicated to documenting exceptional contemporary practice and celebrating the voices shaping the future of global art.