South African visual activist Zanele Muholi has won the prestigious 2026 Hasselblad Award, one of the highest honors in photography. The award, which includes a cash prize and a major exhibition at the Hasselblad Foundation in Gothenburg, Sweden, recognizes Muholi's decades-long dedication to documenting and celebrating Black LGBTQIA+ communities in South Africa and beyond. Their powerful portraits and self-portraits challenge historical erasure and create a profound visual archive of resistance and existence.
This recognition solidifies Muholi's global influence at a critical time for both artistic and human rights discourse. Their work not only confronts violence and prejudice but also asserts Black queer joy and beauty, filling a gap in both the art historical canon and the social record. The Hasselblad Award, previously given to icons like Nan Goldin and Sebastião Salgado, positions Muholi's activism-centered practice within the highest echelons of the medium, ensuring wider visibility for their urgent and celebratory mission.