2026 Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winners Announced

2026 standard bank young artist award winners announced

The National Arts Festival and Standard Bank have unveiled their 2026 cohort of Standard Bank Young Artist Award (SBYA) winners, and the group makes it clear that South African art is shaking off its old skin. This year’s recipients were announced as: Bronwyn Katz (Visual Arts), Gabi Motuba (Jazz), Jason Jacobs (Theatre), Lee-ché Janecke (Dance), and Ndumiso Manana (Music). These recipients are bending genres, dodging categories, and proving tha…

Announcement of the 2026 Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winners

In 2026, art is moving differently. The lines between disciplines are loosening, the distance between experimental practice and popular culture is narrowing, and artists are finding new ways to move between the archive, the stage, and the global screen. It is within this shifting cultural moment that the National Arts Festival (NAF), custodians of the Standard Bank Young Artist Awards (SBYA), together with their long-standing partner Standard Ba…

Tyla's choreograher, Lee-chè Janecke amongst 2026 Standard Bank Young Artist Award winners

Art is moving differently in 2026. The lines between disciplines are loosening, the distance between experimental practice and popular culture is narrowing, and artists are finding new ways to move between the archive, the stage and the global screen.