2025 Anonymous Was A Woman Awards

Anonymous Was A Woman awards $750,000 to 15 women artists over the age of 40, who each receive $50,000 in recognition of their work
The 2025 award follows AWAW’s landmark survey and symposium addressing the lives and careers of women artists

November 19, 2025—Anonymous Was A Woman (AWAW) today announced the recipients of its 2025 awards, recognizing 15 artists over the age of 40 who have made significant contributions while continuing to create new work. Each recipient receives an unrestricted award of $50,000. Founded in 1996 by artist Susan Unterberg, Anonymous Was A Woman supports woman-identifying artists at critical points in their lives and careers. The organization has awarded more than $8 million to over 300 artists since its inception. This year’s recipients range in age from 41 to 83, and include artists working in a variety of mediums across the U.S. Earlier this year, AWAW released the results of the Anonymous Was A Woman Artist Survey—a landmark study conducted in partnership with journalists Charlotte Burns and Julia Halperin and SMU DataArts—which synthesized responses from over 1200 artists to provide a nuanced portrait of the challenges and successes of women artists today. The findings were presented at Artists Speak: The Anonymous Was A Woman Symposium, a convening at New York University in April 2025 that brought together artists, curators, and advocates to discuss systemic inequities and strategies for change. “This year marks a moment of both reflection and action,” said Susan Unterberg, founder of AWAW. “The insights from our inaugural survey and symposium have deepened our understanding of what women artists need to thrive, and reaffirmed the urgency of continuing to provide direct, unrestricted support. At a moment when the arts and the rights of women are under threat, I’m honored to recognize this year’s extraordinary group of artists—each of whom expands the field in profound and original ways. I started Anonymous Was A Woman partially in response to the end of federal funding to individual artists. Nearly thirty years later, that same need motivates us to continue our work of uplifting women artists in mid-career.”

The 2025 Anonymous Was A Woman Award recipients are:

Candida Alvarez
Ambreen Butt
JoAnne Carson
Cecelia Condit
Lola Flash
Sonya Kelliher-Combs
Michelle Marcuse
Park McArthur
Nicole Miller
Narcissister
Dhara Rivera
Linda Stark
Kunié Sugiura
Hong-Ân Trương
Paula Wilson