The Manhyia Palace Museum has officially announced May 13, 2026, as the date for the second edition of the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Art Awards, one of Ghana’s most prestigious events dedicated to visual arts and cultural heritage.
The announcement was made on Saturday during a press briefing addressed by the Director of the Manhyia Palace Museum, Ivor Agyeman-Duah.
The awards ceremony will take place at the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Auditorium in Kumasi under the patronage of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the chief patronage of Lady Julia Osei Tutu.
Ahead of the main ceremony, organisers will host a special Laureates’ Dinner on May 12, 2026, bringing together distinguished artists, curators, cultural leaders and invited dignitaries for an evening celebrating artistic excellence and cultural preservation.
This year’s edition marks the beginning of a new partnership between the Manhyia Palace Museum and UNESCO Ghana, reinforcing efforts to project Ghanaian creativity onto the global stage while preserving the nation’s artistic traditions.
Speaking at the press briefing, Ivor Agyeman-Duah announced that eight laureates had been selected through a rigorous independent jury process involving Ghanaian and international experts in visual arts, curation and art history.
He further disclosed to journalists that the awards ceremony is expected to attract ten ambassadors, 15 heads of United Nations institutions and more than 500 distinguished personalities from across Ghana and beyond, underscoring the growing international significance of the event.
The 2026 laureates include internationally acclaimed contemporary artist Ibrahim Mahama, founder of the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art and Red Clay in Tamale; renowned painters Victor Butler and Larry Otoo; portrait artist Afia Prempeh; and New York-based installation artist Yaw Owusu.
Also honoured are Julie Hudson, African Curator at the British Museum; curator Osei Bonsu; and Seychellois contemporary artist Leon Raddegonde.
Organisers say the awards scheme seeks to celebrate both Ghana’s artistic “Old Masters” and emerging creative talents who continue to shape the country’s cultural identity through innovation and excellence.
Instituted in 2025, the awards emerged following the successful negotiations for the return of important royal regalia looted from the Manhyia Palace during the 1874 and 1896 Anglo-Asante wars.
The subsequent Homecoming exhibition inspired the establishment of the awards as a long-term initiative to preserve and celebrate Ghana’s artistic heritage.
The awards recognise achievements in painting, sculpture, traditional goldsmithing, installation art, art history and distinguished curation. According to organisers, selection criteria include artistic originality, authenticity, contribution to Ghanaian creativity and cultural impact.
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