The Manhyia Palace Museum has signed a cooperation agreement with UNESCO Ghana, marking a major step in promoting artistic excellence and safeguarding Ghana’s cultural heritage.

The agreement was formalised in Accra at the launch of the second edition of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Art Awards, reinforcing collaboration to advance the creative economy and support the global visibility of Ghanaian art.

As part of the initiative, organisers announced the laureates for the 2026 edition. The awards, instituted by the Manhyia Palace Museum in collaboration with UNESCO, recognise excellence, innovation and contributions to contemporary art, as well as curatorial practice and museum development.

Director of the Manhyia Palace Museum, Ivor Agyeman-Duah, disclosed that eight artists were selected after a rigorous process involving Ghanaian and international experts. The list includes five Ghanaians, two British nationals and one Seychellois.

The 2026 laureates are:

• Ibrahim Mahama, founder of the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art, Red Clay and the Nkrumah Violin in Tamale
• Victor Butler
• Julie Hudson, African Curator at the British Museum
• Osei Bonsu
• Afia Prempeh, portrait artist
• Leon Raddegonde
• Yaw Owusu, installation artist and painter based in New York
• Larry Otoo

The awards ceremony will take place in Kumasi, with a Laureates’ Dinner scheduled for May 14, 2026, followed by the main event on May 15 at the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Auditorium at the Manhyia Palace.

Exhibitions showcasing the works of the laureates will run for two weeks at the auditorium and the Golden Bean Hotel.

The programme will also feature the unveiling of a commemorative booklet and a special exhibition honouring Hungarian artist Helene Urszenyi-Breznay, known for her historic portraits of Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, Kwame Nkrumah and Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1950s and 60s.

UNESCO Representative to Ghana, Edmond Moukala, described the awards as “a global benchmark for integrating culture into sustainable development.”

He praised the vision of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for empowering artists, particularly youth and women, and positioning museums as key players in the creative economy.

The partnership aligns with UNESCO conventions on cultural protection and the promotion of diversity, aimed at ensuring Ghanaian art is protected, documented and globally recognised.

Representing the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Divine Kwame Owusu-Ansah assured of the ministry’s full support for the awards.