On April 16, 2026, the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) and Sobey Art Foundation announced the longlist of 30 visual artists for the 2026 Sobey Art Award, which included two Inuit artists in the Circumpolar category: Janet Nungnik and Annie Pillaktuaq. Other artists nominated in this category are Melaw Nakehk’o, Krystle Silverfox, and Melissa Tremblett.
Presented annually since 2002, the Sobey Award is the largest visual art award in Canada and celebrates artists from six regions: Circumpolar, Pacific, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic. “The Sobey Art Award continues to serve as a crucial platform for the voices shaping our culture today. Chosen from a remarkable pool of talent, this year’s longlist reflects the vibrant brilliance of Canadian contemporary art,” says Jonathan Shaughnessy, Director, Curatorial Initiatives at the NGC and Chair of the 2026 Sobey Award Jury. The award provides a total of $465,000 in prize money: $100,000 will be awarded to the winner, $25,000 will be given to the six shortlisted artists, and $10,000 will be given to each of the remaining longlisted artists.
Nungnik is a textile artist from Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU. She makes wallhangings that feature delicate embroidery and appliqué and often depict scenes from her life and community. Nungnik’s work has been featured in the solo exhibitions Janet Nungnik at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, ON, and The Eagle’s Shadow (2019) at Marion Scott Gallery in Vancouver, BC. She was also part of group exhibition Works on Cloth (2002) at Marion Scott Gallery.
Originally from Iqaluit, NU, and currently based in the Greater Toronto Area, ON, and Ottawa, ON, Pillaktuaq is a painter and designer. Her paintings combine cubist, abstract style with Inuit traditional stories. She incorporates materials like acrylic paint, sealskin, and putty in her work. Pillaktuaq also makes wearable items, including mittens and earrings. Her wearables have been featured in the 2025 Fashion Art Toronto retail space, and her paintings have been exhibited at Art Vancouver in 2024 and acquired by public collections at the Canada Council Art Bank in Ottawa and AOG Art Gallery in Frankville, ON.
Several Inuit artists have won and been nominated for this prestigious award in the past: in 2006, Annie Pootoogook (1969–2016) was the first Inuk artist to win the award, followed by Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory in 2021 and Kablusiak, the first Inuvialuk artist to win, in 2023. In 2020, the award was split among the shortlisted artists, and asinnajaq was one of the recipients. Past longlisted and shortlisted Inuit artists include Darcie Bernhardt; Tarralik Duffy; Shirely Moorhouse; Mathew Nuqingaq, CM; Taqralik Partridge; Eldred Allen; Jason Sikoak; Jessica Winters; Maureen Gruben; Glenn Gear; Tanya Lukin Linklater; Mark Igloliorte; and Couzyn van Heuvelen.
The six shortlisted artists will be announced on May 26, and their work will be featured in an exhibition at the NGC in September. The winner of the prize will be announced on November 14 during a celebration at the NGC.