Art Basel introduced its first cohort of Gold Awardees with a striking, high-gloss presentation at the Frank Gehry–designed New World Center. The event marked the conclusion of the inaugural Art Basel Awards cycle, a program conceived to champion excellence and experimentation across the global contemporary art landscape. By foregrounding practitioners whose ideas are shaping cultural futures, the initiative aims to reframe how achievement in the arts is recognized.
Hosted by Grammy Award–winning producer Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean, the evening unfolded as a carefully orchestrated encounter between sound, architecture, performance and culinary gesture. The Miami Beach celebration followed the program’s debut chapter in Basel earlier this year and expanded its ambition with a distinctly panoramic view of contemporary cultural production.
Reflecting on the occasion, Swizz Beatz noted the significance of convening the entire artistic ecosystem on an international stage. Through The Dean Collection, he has long advocated for artist-centered structures, and the ceremony’s atmosphere echoed that commitment. His presence lent an energy that framed the night as a foundational moment for what the Awards hope to become.
Guests entered a space animated by projected light, shifting architectural interventions and a live orchestral performance by musicians of the New World Symphony. A meditative, genre-spanning performance by Kelsey Lu provided the emotional apex of the evening, while cultural commentator Dylan Kelly guided the red carpet and the after-party, reinforcing the program’s focus on exchange across disciplines.
The ceremony, introduced virtually by Emma D’Arcy, honored eleven individuals and organizations selected through a peer-driven process. The recipients included Cecilia Vicuña in the Icon category, Nairy Baghramian and Ibrahim Mahama in Established, Mohammad Alfaraj and Saodat Ismailova in Emerging, Formafantasma in Cross-Disciplinary Practice, Joel Wachs as Patron, RAW Material Company as Institution, Candice Hopkins as Curator, Gasworks and Triangle Network as Allies, and Negar Azimi for Media and Storytelling.
Each honoree received a hand-blown glass sculpture conceived by Jacques Herzog of Herzog and de Meuron. Produced with a Basel-based foundry, the trophies are individually formed to evoke the shape of breath. Awards in the artist categories provide immediate and flexible support, with nearly USD 300,000 distributed annually in honorariums and philanthropic gifts.
The night also introduced the BOSS Award for Outstanding Achievement, which recognizes cultural influence that reverberates beyond the art world. The award celebrates work that embodies the brand’s ideals of boldness, authenticity, ambition and social responsibility. The inaugural recipient is Meriem Bennani.
Celebrations continued on the rooftop, where honorees and guests gathered for an intimate after-party underscored by a set from Puerto Rican-born, Miami-based DJ and producer Natalia Roth. Her restrained house and techno rhythms carried the evening toward a lively conclusion against the Miami Beach skyline, encouraging conversation, improvisation and unexpected collaborations.
The event drew figures from art, fashion, design, music and entertainment, including Swizz Beatz, Kelsey Lu, A$AP Ferg, Khalid and Fridayy, with additional appearances by Malcolm Jenkins, Kimberly Drew, Tyshawn Jones, Larsen Thompson and many others. Leaders from museums and galleries were also present, among them Erin Christovale, Es Devlin, Mike Winkelmann, Pablo León de la Barra, Ruba Katrib, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Alan Cristea, François Ghebaly, Mónica Manzutto, Nicola Vassell and Xavier Hufkens. Collectors and patrons such as Catherine Petitgas, Karen Boros, Komal Shah, Nicolas Berggruen and Don and Mera Rubell further underscored the evening’s cultural weight.
Art Basel leadership attended in full, including CEO Noah Horowitz and Chief Artistic Officer Vincenzo de Bellis, joined by directors Bridget Finn, Maike Cruse, Angelle Siyang-Lee, Karim Crippa and Carly Murphy.
Art Basel Awards Gold Awardees 2025
Icon Artist
Cecilia Vicuña
Established Artists
Nairy Baghramian
Ibrahim Mahama
Emerging Artists
Mohammad Alfaraj
Saodat Ismailova
Cross-Disciplinary Creators
Formafantasma
Patron
Joel Wachs
Institution
RAW Material Company
Curator
Candice Hopkins
Allies
Gasworks, Triangle Network
Media and Storytelling
Negar Azimi
BOSS Award for Outstanding Achievement
Meriem Bennani
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