Umoja Prize for Contemporary Tanzanian Artist

Umoja Prize for Contemporary Tanzanian Artist (UPCTA) is a competition, exhibition and award held each year for visual arts in Tanzania. It is one of the most important art awards in Tanzania.[1] First offered in 2007 by the Umoja Foundation for the Arts.[2] Umoja Foundation has sponsored the event since 2007 so it is often known as the Umoja Prize. It rewards Tanzanian artists under 40 in contemporary art.[3]

The competition is open to all artists under 40, it features artists from all over Tanzania. Its goal is to show the best indigenous art in the country. The works can be in any media, including paintings (on bark, canvas and paper), prints, sculpture, textiles, weaving, ceramics, glass, photography, digital media and video.

The first prize of Tsh 3,000 000 is awarded to the work considered the best in the show. Smaller prizes of Tsh 1,000 000 each are awarded in four categories.

List of winners

Year Winner Region
2007 Mussa Owiyo Arusha
2008 Anna Maliki Dodoma
2009 Mwahangila Baraka Mbeya
2010 Issack Shayo Moshi
2011 Ally Salum Zanzibar
2012 Yohanna Mwenda Dar es salaam
2013 Zainab Said Zanzibar
2014 Adam Aloyce Mtwara
2015 Sam Ntiro Moshi
2016 Thobias Minzi Mwanza
2017 Mwandale Mwanyekwa Dar es salaam
2018 Hamza Khalfani Zanzibar
2019 Adamson John Arusha
2020 Simon Rieber[4] Dar es salaam
2021 Mary Chrisopher Arusha

References