Holt Art Projects is an initiative established in 2025 to continue the artistic legacy of Holt Festival. For more than fifteen years the festival brought high-quality visual art, music and performance to the market town of Holt in North Norfolk.

The original Sir John Hurt Art Prize was founded in 2010 and reflected Sir John’s deep commitment to the visual arts alongside his distinguished career as an actor and painter. Following his death in 2017, the prize continued in his memory and has since expanded into a wider programme of seven awards celebrating excellence across multiple visual art disciplines.

Shortlisted works from the awards form a major annual exhibition bringing together both emerging and established artists from the UK and internationally.

The Awards for 2026 are:

Sir John Hurt   / £2,000

Charlotte Fraser Glass & Ceramic  / £1,500

Helen Herbert Portrait  / £1,000

Mannington Nature Prize / £2,000

Benjamin Hall Photography / £1,000

Sworders Emerging Artists / £750 (all entries to this award automatically go into SJH) 

Sworders Young Artists / £500 (all entries to this award automatically go into SJH)