FAQs  |  Art Terms

Q When did the Turner Prize start?
A The first Turner Prize was awarded in 1984.

Q How did it begin?
A The prize was founded by a group called the Patrons of New Art. They were formed in 1982 to help buy new art for the Tate Gallery's collection, and to encourage wider interest in contemporary art.

Q Why did they call it 'The Turner Prize'?
A The Patrons wanted a name associated with great British art. They chose JMW Turner (1775-1851) partly because he had wanted to establish a prize for young artists. He also seemed appropriate because his work was controversial in his own day.

Q Who put up the prize money?
A The first sponsor was Oliver Prenn, though he remained anonymous at the time. He was a founder member of the Patrons of New Art. The prize money was £10,000 for the first three years. He was followed in 1987 by Drexel Burnham Lambert International Inc., an American investment company. They sponsored the prize until 1989. The prize was suspended for a year in 1990 when the company went bankrupt. Channel 4 was the sponsor from 1991-2003 and the prize money was raised to £20,000. In 2004, Gordon's began a three-year sponsorship and the value was increased to £40,000.

Q Who was the first winner?
A Malcolm Morley.

Q Why did some of the early shortlists include people who weren't artists?
A At first the prize was awarded to 'the person who, in the opinion of the jury, has made the greatest contribution to art in Britain in the previous twelve months'. This meant that critics and art administrators were eligible as well as artists.

Q Has there always been a shortlist?
A In the early days there were concerns about the shortlisting process. In 1988 it was decided not to announce the shortlist publicly, and instead of an exhibition of work by shortlisted artists, the winner was offered a solo show the following year. In 1989 the jury published a list of 7 'commended' artists. The shortlist was reinstated in 1991, and restricted to 3 or 4 artists.

Q Is there an age limit?
A There was no age limit at first, but in 1991 it was decided to restrict the Prize to artists under 50, so that younger artists just setting out weren't pitted against artists at the height of their careers.

Q Is there a limit to how often an artist can be shortlisted?
A There was no limit at first, but in 1987 it was ruled that any artist nominated for two years wouldn't be eligible for the following two years. This was changed again in 1991; since then there has been no limit to the number of times an artist can be shortlisted.

Q What about the protest groups?
A Since 1991, when the award ceremony was first broadcast live, various groups have staged protests. These have included a group called Fanny Adams, protesting against male domination of the art world, the K Foundation (formerly the pop band KLF) who awarded £40,000 to Rachel Whiteread as the 'worst shortlisted artist' in 1993, and FAT (Fashion, Architecture and Taste) who objected to the 'cultural élitism' of the art establishment.