LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize 2027 — an international applied-arts prize with a €50,000 award
An international applied-arts prize is a chance for a maker to step beyond the local market and show their work to a global professional community. The LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize 2027 opens that path: the winner receives €50,000, and the finalists’ works are shown in an exhibition and catalogue in Europe.
For makers who work with material and by hand, it is a rare chance to make their name on a stage with an international reputation.
About the prize
The LOEWE Foundation is the cultural foundation of the Spanish house LOEWE, which has run the Craft Prize every year since 2016, one of the most prominent international awards in contemporary craft.
The 2027 edition will be the tenth, an anniversary one. The prize recognises original work in which handcraft meets artistic intent and a fresh reading of tradition. Its weight comes not from loud words but from the foundation’s reputation, an international jury and the history of previous seasons.
Who can enter
Applications are open to professional makers in the applied arts aged 18 and of any nationality — the prize is international and sets no restriction on country of residence. You can enter individually or as a collective. However, one limitation matters: this is a competition of craft practice, not of conceptual or digital art. It is aimed at those who make objects by hand and work directly with material.
What work is accepted
An original work, made wholly or partly by hand and created within the last five years, is eligible. It must be one of a kind and must not have won prizes in other competitions, since the jury is interested in a new statement rather than an already-recognised project. Above all, technical mastery and the ability to rethink tradition are valued.
The disciplines span a wide range of the applied arts:
— ceramics, glass and enamel;
— textiles, leather and paper;
— wood, metal and furniture;
— jewellery, lacquer and bookbinding.
What the winner receives
The main prize is €50,000, one of the largest cash awards in the applied arts. Beyond the cash, the winner’s work and the finalists’ works selected by the expert panel are shown in an exhibition and a printed catalogue in Europe in spring 2027. For a maker, this combines financial support with international visibility, since applied-arts works rarely enter major art institutions.
Why it is worth your attention
Unlike most art prizes focused on painting, photography or conceptual projects, the LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize puts material, technique and handwork at its centre.
This is not a competition of decorative souvenirs, nor a contest of strict adherence to canon, since the jury looks for authors who renew craft and find a contemporary artistic language within it. That focus is worth weighing in advance.
The prize is unlikely to suit those working only with digital media, but for ceramicists, jewellers, textile artists and furniture designers it is one of the most prestigious international stages.
What you need to apply
Applications are submitted through the official online form.
You need to prepare:
— 2 to 5 photographs of the work or series;
— optionally a short video;
— a brief statement of the work’s concept.
Selection runs in two stages: first an expert panel draws up a shortlist of 30 works, then an international jury chooses the winner. The laureate’s name will be announced in spring 2027.
The deadline for applications is 15 October 2026.
