London, 16 October 2025 – Degussa Goldhandel, in partnership with art magazine Monopol, has revealed the five nominees for the 2026 Young Generation Art Award at the highly esteemed Frieze London art fair. The award, which aims to promote emerging artists in contemporary art, was first established in 2024 and presented for the first time in 2025.
Making its debut at Frieze this year, Degussa Goldhandel will showcase a large solo exhibition of last year’s winner, Thuy Tien Nguyen, whose work impressed the 2025 jury.
The shortlist for the 2026 award was announced yesterday at the fair’s opening. From a pool of nearly 400 entries, Yuhao Chen, Lunita July Dorn, Arne Grashoff, Emmélie Lempert, and Ken Nwadiogbu were chosen as the most promising young artists in the contemporary art scene.
The November issue of Monopol magazine will feature the five nominees, and their works will be on display at a joint exhibition at the Degussa branch in Berlin from 28 November, located at Französische Strasse 48.
Christian Rauch, CEO of Degussa, expresses his pride in the Young Generation Art Award’s international debut at Frieze London in only its second year. “This significant presence highlights the relevance and sustainability of our dedication to the art world,” he says.
Elke Buhr, editor-in-chief of Monopol, shares her excitement for the award’s success among young artists, saying, “The Young Generation Art Award has generated a tremendous response from emerging artists and clearly resonates with them. I am delighted with the diversity and quality of the submissions and look forward to presenting the five most outstanding artists in Monopol.”
The Young Generation Art Award includes a 10,000 euro prize for the winner, and each shortlisted nominee will receive 3,000 euros. An expert jury, consisting of Yilmaz Dziewior, director of Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Maya Heckelmann, curator and head of arts and culture sponsorship at Degussa; and Elke Buhr, editor-in-chief of Monopol, will select the 2026 winner from the five finalists.
Short biographies of the nominees have also been released. Yuhao Chen (born 1991, China) studied at the China Academy of Art and the Academy of Fine Arts Munich, where he graduated in 2023. Lunita July Dorn (born 1999, Berlin) is currently studying at the Weissensee School of Art and Design under Friederike Feldmann. Arne Grashoff (born 1995, south Germany) studied communication design in Stuttgart and photography with Heidi Specker at the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig before continuing his studies at the University of Fine Arts in Berlin in 2025. Emmélie Lempert (born 1998, Bonn) studied psychology at Humboldt University in Berlin and then fine arts at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, where she graduated in 2024. Ken Nwadiogbu (born 1994, Lagos, Nigeria) initially studied engineering before pursuing a master’s degree in painting at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
The Young Generation Art Award, presented by Degussa and Monopol, aims to support the next generation of artists and send a powerful message to the young European art scene about the importance of artistic quality and diversity.
For further information, please contact:
Degussa Holding AG, Oberneuhofstrasse 12, 6340 Baar, Switzerland;
Andrea Haener, email: presse@degussa.com
Res Publica Verlags GmbH, Fasanenstrasse 7–8, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
Elke Buhr, email: buhr@monopol-magazin.de