Tyler Mitchell has been awarded the 2026 Don Tyson Prize for the Advancement of American Art, the Crystal Bridges Museum has announced. He will receive $250,000 in recognition of his work’s significance.
Mitchell is a Brooklyn-based artist, photographer and filmmaker. His work is characterised by a portrayal of Black life that highlights tenderness, play, empowerment and self-determination, often inspired by scenes from his youth in suburban Georgia. In 2018, he became the first Black artist to shoot the cover for the American Vogue.
‘Through photography, film, publishing, fashion, and exhibition-making, Mitchell has created images and experiences that reach audiences well beyond traditional museum spaces,’ said Rod Bigelow, executive director of Crystal Bridges.
The Don Tyson Prize was founded in 2016 as a biennial award with a $200,000 cash prize for living individuals or institutions in the US ‘who have changed the way we look at, think about, or experience American art’. As of this year, the prize has been upped to $250,000 and will be awarded annually.
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