Global Talent: arts and culture prizes
Updated 11 November 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-talent-eligible-prize-list/global-talent-eligible-prize-list
Applying as the winner of an eligible prestigious prize for arts and culture
If you hold a prize from the list below, you can bypass the endorsement stage of the Global Talent visa route and go directly to the visa stage.
These prizes have been recommended by and agreed with the Global Talent endorsing body. Prizes included must be open to all nationalities and winners must be determined by experts or peers, rather than a public vote.
To be eligible for this route:
- the prize must be named on the list below; other prizes awarded by the same institutions are not eligible - for example, if you hold a Georg Forster Research award given by the Humboldt Foundation this is not accepted, only the Humboldt Research Award is
- you must be the named winner of the prize - prestigious awards for specific works, such as an award-winning film, or prizes which recognise a whole organisation rather than individuals are not included on the list
- if you won as part of a group, the prize must specifically name you as a member of that group - for example, prizes awarded to joint researchers recognised for the same work are acceptable if each researcher is named by the institution awarding the prize
- the prize must not have been withdrawn or suspended
You can have held the prize for a number of years - there is no time limit, as long as the prize has not been withdrawn or suspended you are eligible to apply.
If you’ve won an eligible prestigious prize from the list below, the Home Office will look at publicly available information (such as the prize organisation’s website) to confirm that you’ve won. You’ll only be asked for evidence of your win if they cannot find this from trusted publicly available information.
If you hold a prize or research award which is not named on the list, or you have contributed to a prize winning piece of work but are not specifically named on the prize, you may still qualify for an endorsement from one of the Global Talent endorsing bodies.
| Qualifying Prize | Name of Awarding Body |
|---|---|
| Bessie – Outstanding Performer | The New York Dance and Performance Awards (The Bessie Awards) |
| Booker Prize | The Booker Prizes |
| Brit Awards – International Artist of the Year | British Phonographic Industry |
| Brit Awards – International Female | British Phonographic Industry |
| Brit Awards – International Male | British Phonographic Industry |
| Critics Circle Award – Best Male | Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards |
| Critics Circle Award – Best Female | Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards |
| Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize | JP Morgan Chase |
| Grammy Award – Lifetime Achievement Award | The Recording Academy |
| Hugo Boss Prize | Guggenheim Foundation |
| ICMA – Artist of the year | International Classical Music Awards |
| ICMA – Lifetime Achievement Award | International Classical Music Awards |
| International Booker Prize | The Booker Prizes |
| International Chopin Piano Competition – First place | Fryderyk Chopin Institute of Warsaw |
| International Dublin Literary Award | International Dublin Literary Award |
| MOBO – Best International Act | MOBO Organisation |
| Olivier Award – Best Actor | Society of London Theatre |
| Olivier Award – Best Actress | Society of London Theatre |
| Olivier Award – Best Director | Society of London Theatre |
| Olivier Award – Best Original Score or New Orchestrations | Society of London Theatre |
| Olivier Award – Best Theatre Choreographer | Society of London Theatre |
| Olivier Award – Outstanding Achievement in Dance | Society of London Theatre |
| Olivier Award – Outstanding Achievement in Music | Society of London Theatre |
| Olivier Award – Outstanding Achievement in Opera | Society of London Theatre |
| Queen Elisabeth Competition – Cello - First Prize | Queen Elisabeth Competition |
| Queen Elisabeth Competition – Piano - First Prize | Queen Elisabeth Competition |
| Queen Elisabeth Competition – Violin - First Prize | Queen Elisabeth Competition |
| Queen Elisabeth Competition – Voice - First Prize | Queen Elisabeth Competition |
| Tchaikovsky Prize – Grand Prix | International Tchaikovsky Competition |
| Tony Award – Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League |
| Tony Award – Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League |
| Tony Award – Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League |
| Tony Award – Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League |
| Tony Award – Best Direction of a Play | The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League |
| Tony Award– Best Direction of a Musical | The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League |
| Tony Award – Best Choreography | The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League |
| Tony Award – Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre | The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League |
| Van Cliburn International Piano Competition – Gold Medallist | Van Cliburn Foundation |
| Wihuri Sibelius Prize | Wihuri Foundation |
| WOMEX – Artist Award | World Music Expo Award (WOMEX) |