Zanele Muholi Wins ‘Nobel Prize of Photography’ in Global Recognition of Queer Visual Activism

South African queer artist Zanele Muholi has received another major international accolade, winning the 2026 Hasselblad Award — one of the world’s most prestigious photography prizes.

The award has been presented annually by the Hasselblad Foundation in Gothenburg, Sweden, since 1980. Widely regarded as the “Nobel Prize of photography,” it recognises photographers who have made pioneering achievements in photographic art.

Documenting Black Queer Lives

For more than two decades, Muholi has documented and celebrated Black LGBTQIA+ lives in South Africa and across the African diaspora. Through groundbreaking series such as Faces and Phases and Somnyama Ngonyama, Muholi has transformed portraiture into powerful visual activism, creating an archive of dignity, resistance, and presence.

The Hasselblad Foundation described Muholi as “one of the most influential photographers of our time with an impact that extends far beyond the art world.” It noted that through their portraits, Muholi “highlights and celebrates the experiences and dignity of the black LGBTQIA+ community – both in South Africa and in the rest of the world.”

“Activism and working close to people is a natural part of Muholi’s practice. By combining political engagement with artistic precision, Zanele Muholi has become a central voice within global queer visual culture,” the foundation said.

“This Recognition Is for the Community”

Muholi said they could not consider themselves a winner, emphasising that the recognition belongs to the communities that shaped their work.

“This recognition is for all of us, for the people who have supported me from [the] start to now, for the people who have stood in front of me and gave me an opportunity to photograph them. This is for them, for the communities that I serve in South Africa and that I support in various fields and projects – all this is for them.”

Muholi, who also co-founded the Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW), was knighted by France in 2017 for their groundbreaking artistic contributions.

Muholi explained that their work seeks to ensure that queer Africans are represented authentically in response to mainstream media having “distorted the queer and trans voices.”

“I’m speaking from an insider’s perspective or point of view. I know what it’s like to grow up in the township. I know and understand about Bantu education, understand how the curriculum could easily distort our voices. So now it’s my duty as part of this journey to make sure that it’s scripted the way I live it.”

They added: “We want to live beyond Pride, because we live as queer and trans people for 365 days of the year. It should not always be when we are victims of anything. I want to make sure that we allow that space to breathe and live without fear of being who we are.”

Prize and Exhibition Programme

Zanele Muholi’s prize includes a gold medal, a Hasselblad camera, a major exhibition at the Hasselblad Center, and 2,000,000 Swedish kronor (approximately R3.6 million).

The Hasselblad Foundation will also honour Muholi with an exhibition at the Hasselblad Center (10 October 2026 to 4 April 2027) and through a series of events. These will include a concert with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, an opening, a book launch, a ceremonial award ceremony on 9 October, and an artist talk at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm on 13 October.