Nordic and Baltic Young Artist Award was created under the name of Baltic Young Artist Award in 2016 by Nordic Baltic Art Center NOBA and the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation (founded jointly by the ABLV Charitable Foundation and the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation). The goal of this competition is to support young talents in starting their careers as professional artists and to offer both art-friends and art professionals better access to discover young artists. The competition is coordinated by NOBA and the prize connects right now Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Finnish art academies and gathers the best works of the graduates to the online platform, promotes the graduation shows and brings international attention to the graduating students, who are facing the hardest moment in starting their careers.
2018 the University of the Arts Helsinki (Uniarts Helsinki) joined the competition and the award got a new name – Nordic and Baltic Young Artist Award.
The winner of the competition, selected by an international jury, is awarded a monetary prize of 2000 €, Young Painter Award winner will receive 1000 euros and a prize of 500 € is awarded to the winner of the online public voting.
The goal of this competition is to support young talents at the beginning of their professional journey when they need public recognition the most.
If you wish to support, please contact us info@noba.ac
NORDIC & BALTIC YOUNG ARTIST AWARD 2023
The international jury of the Nordic and Baltic Young Artist Award 2023 decided to award Lithuanian artist Agata Orlovska the Grand Prix along with the 2000-euro prize. The Young Painter Award and a 1000-euro prize were awarded to Katrina Laura Biksone, who recently completed her bachelor’s studies at the Art Academy of Latvia.
The Public Choice award, including a 500 euro prize, goes to a talented Estonian photographer, Andrea Margó Rotenberg, a Pallas University of Applied Sciences graduate.
In addition, special awards were handed out:
- The jury awarded Arvid Staaf, a graduate of Uniarts Helsinki, an invitation to attend Viinistu Art Residency for his installation “Strangers at the Abyss.”
- Fotografiska Tallinn selected three outstanding artists from the competition participants, granting them a one-year pass to Fotografiska: Andrea Margó Rotenberg, Annemarija Gulbe, and Gabrielė Monginaitė.
A selection of winning artworks will be exhibited in Painting triennial 2024 organised by Lithuanian Artists’ Association with a title “I am here not to be tolerated, I am here to bother you“ and ArtDepoo Gallery in Estonia 2025.
In 2023, 142 artists with 256 works took part in the competition.
The winners of the Nordic and Baltic Young Artist Awards are selected by an international jury, including Anne Klontz from Konstfack University of Art, Latvian Academy of Art professor Andris Vītoliņš, EKA gallerist Pire Sova, head of Pallas Art School Pallas painting department Margus Meinart, Vilnius Academy of Arts rector Ieva Skauronė, Uniarts Helsinki lecturer and artist Harri Monni, professor Per Nilsson of the Umeå Art Academy, Taina Erävaara from the Turku Art Academy, Maarja Loorents, co-founder of Fotografiska Tallinn and head of exhibitions, Marti Manen, curator and director of The Swedish Contemporary Art Foundation in Stockholm, and Andra Orn, founder of the NOBA.ac art platform.
The winner of the Public Choice award was determined through an online public vote, receiving over 1000 votes for favourite artworks.
NORDIC & BALTIC YOUNG ARTIST AWARD 2022
According to the decision of the international jury of the Nordic Baltic Young Artist Award 2022 the Grand Prix went out to Latvian artist Laura Aizporiete for her large-scale installation “Garage 119”. The Young Painter Award was handed out to another Latvian artist Ingrida Ivane for her 4,8 x 6,4 meters massive painting “34 29”.
The prize for NOBA Award Public Choice 2022 was handed out to a Lithuanian artist Laura Marija Salkauskiene for her artwork Emptiness and energy II.
The main sponsor of the prize fund, which consists of the Grand Prix of 2,000 euros, the Young Painter Award of 1,000 euros and the Public Award of 500 euros, is the Postimees Foundation.
NOBA Award 2022 international jury included the dean of Oslo National Academy of the Arts, art historian and curator Sarah Lookofsky, associate professor at Umeå Academy of Fine Arts Per Nilsson, rector of Iceland University of the Arts Fríða Björk Ingvarsdóttir, Taina Erävaara and Dr. Vesa Taatila from Turku University of Applied Sciences, Anne Klontz from Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design, Andris Vītoliņš from Art Academy of Latvia, Pire Sova, gallerist of Estonian Art Academy, Margus Meinart from Pallas University of Applied Sciences, Ieva Skauronė, rector of Vilnius Academy of Arts, lecturer at Uniarts Helsinki Harri Monni, Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) and, independent curator and former head of exhibitions and the co-curator of Helsinki Biennial 2022 Pirkko Siitari and Andra Orn from NOBA.ac.
NORDIC & BALTIC YOUNG ARTIST AWARD 2021
The competition was held already for the sixth time with Sofia Haapamäki winning the Grand Prix, besides the additional prizes and special mentionings. A total of 142 works from 78 authors were submitted to the large-scale competition, which gathers the best works of the graduates of Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Finnish art universities.
Madara Kvēpa from the Latvian Academy of Arts won the title of the best Young Painter and Monika Radžiūnaitė from the Vilnius Academy of Arts was also mentioned.
Traditionally, the audience had the opportunity to choose their favorite by participating in the online voting from November 15 to December 5. This year it turned out to be Amanda Krumina with her work “I`m on the goat”, which collected 80 votes from 1695.
As an innovation, the Fotografiska Tallinn special prize, the museum’s annual ticket, was awarded to Stina Isabel Gavrilin for her video projection “Morning. I’m going to lose my mind”.
The main sponsor of the prize fund, which consists of the Grand Prix of 2,000 euros, the Young Painter Award of 1,000 euros and the Public Award of 500 euros, is the Postimees Foundation.
The international jury of NOBA’21 consists of Anne Klontz (USA/Sweden Konstfack), Katerina Gregos (National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) in Athens), Simonas Kuliešis (Vilnius Academy of Arts), Andris Vitolinš (Latvian Academy of Arts), Andra Orn (contemporary art platform NOAR.eu), Pire Sova (Estonian Academy of Arts), Harri Monni (Helsinki Uniarts).
NORDIC & BALTIC YOUNG ARTIST AWARD 2020
2020 Nordic & Baltic Young Artists Award was held already for the fifth time. The competition featured 77 young artists, including 13 graduates from 14 Estonia, 17 Finland, 15 Latvia and 31 Lithuania, who submitted close to 300 entries.
Grand Prix: Kristine Krauze-Slucka for mixed media installation Orgatopia
Painter Award: Laura Vela for 144 paintings as objects combined in the multimedia installation Time.Identity
Public Choice: Akvilė Malukienė for artworks series Flowers.
NORDIC & BALTIC YOUNG ARTIST AWARD 2019
In 2019 altogether 97 young artists from Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania participated in Nordic & Baltic Young Artist Award competition presenting 301 artworks. The award ceremony was held in Latvian National Art Museum in Riga. The winner of the Grand Prix was decided by the international jury, accompanied with 2000€ monetary award and an invitation to present the artworks at Vilnius Art Fair and Tallinn Art Week in 2020. In addition, since 2019 two additional awards are handed out – Young Painters Prize with 1000 € monetary prize and Fotografiska Tallinn chooses a winner for their award to make an exhibition in Fotografiska Tallinn (invitation to host a solo-exhibition in Fotografiska)
.Grand Prix: Rag Elnyg, mixed media artwork “Titled”
Young Painter Award: Janis Šneiders, series of paintings “The Place”
Fotografiska Tallinn Award: Ignas Pavliukevičius (Lithuania) installatsioon “What the other I want”.
Public Choice Award: Rasuole Jautakyte, sculpture “Objects for body. Simulation of mental disorders. Paranoia, 2019
”Read the press release and browse the photo gallery of the ceremony.
Read the interview with Rag Elnyg
Member of the Jury: Anne Klontz (USA/Sweden konstfack), Anna-Kaisa Rastenberger (Helsinki Uniarts), Anni Anttonen(Helsinki Uniarts), Pire Sova (Estonian Academy of Arts), Andra Orn (contemporary art platform NOAR.eu), Andris Vitolinš (Latvian Academy of Arts), Milda Dainovskytė (Vilnius Academy of Arts ), Aušra Trakšelytė (Vilnius Academy of Arts).
NORDIC & BALTIC YOUNG ARTIST AWARD 2018
Altogether 95 artists from Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with around 200 pieces of art participated in the contest in 2018. The winner of NOBA and Public Choice Award winner was rewarded with the monetary price of 2000€. She was also invited to participate in ArtVilnius 2019 and Tallinn Art Week in 2020. A Public Choice award winner revealed based on public online voting received the monetary reward of 500€.Grand Prix: Elina Vitola Common Issues in Painting and Every-Day Life 5
Public Choice: Laima Antonova Transformation of everyday lifeWatch an interview with Elina from the award ceremony.Watch the flashback video from the award ceremony “Breaking the Walls”Check out the photo gallery from the award ceremony.
Baltic Young Artist Award 2017
Grand Prix: Katrina Čemme “What is Lost is Lost Forever“.
Public Choice: Laura Motienjunaite “Textile and Jewellery Synergy in Contemporary Jewellery Collection“.
Baltic Young Artist Award 2016
Grand Prix: Juhan Soomets 
Public Choice: Nojus Petrauskas
