Jaguar spotlights five emerging artists in its inaugural Arts Awards

‘Emerging artists are the most daring,’ says, Gerry McGovern. According to the chief creative Officer of JLR, early career creatives are ‘unencumbered by convention, and willing to push boundaries’. Yet they often lack the support to reach the next level.

To champion emerging talent, this year Jaguar has launched its inaugural Arts Awards in partnership with the Royal College of Art. Spotlighting five emerging practitioners, the awards aim to support creatives after education by providing financial grants. ‘The Royal College of Art is one of the world’s leading institutions for art and creativity, with a long history of nurturing talent that has gone on to shape culture globally,’ says McGovern.

‘As an alumnus of the RCA myself, I was always inspired by those who had been present there before me – from David Hockney to Barbara Hepworth,’ states McGovern. According to the CCO, the biggest barriers are often financial stability, access to networks, and visibility. ‘By providing grants, Jaguar is helping to bridge that gap, giving these artists the freedom to focus on their practice and the confidence to pursue originality.’

The awards have been framed by the brief ‘Copy Nothing’, a mantra held by Jaguar founder Sir William Lyon. Entrants were challenged to respond to this ethos in their chosen medium. ‘For Jaguar, championing originality means celebrating ideas that are authentic, distinctive, and emotionally resonant,’ notes McGovern.

A multidisciplinary jury selected five winners in response to the brief. The top honour, the Gerry McGovern Award, went to Jobe Burns for Intimate Conversation, a sculpture of two steel bodies held in silent dialogue. His work fused luminous automotive paint with salvaged steel and aluminium. The jury praised this piece for its craftsmanship, bold use of colour and emotional weight. ‘I wanted to show how memory sits in the material,’ says Burns.

Raised in Walsall, a town shaped by manufacturing and manual labour, Burns channels his Black Country roots through metal. As part of the award, Burns received a £20,000 grant, enabling him to relocate to a rural studio and scale up his practice.

Runner-up Yvann Zahui received the £10,000 Jaguar Award for Auto-Portraits, a striking photographic triptych that reimagines the car as an extension of the body. Born in the Ivory Coast, Zahui’s work merges Afrofuturism, performance and surrealist imagery. His grant will allow him to explore new photography mediums.

The jury also recognised Emma Goring, Ali Bartlett, and Annabel MacIver, awarding each artist £5,000 for their work that interrogates material traditions. According to McGovern, what unites the five winners is the pursuit of authenticity. ‘They each created work that is deeply personal and feels culturally relevant.’

The new Jaguar Arts Awards demonstrate the RCA and Jaguar’s shared drive to nurture new talent. Looking ahead, McGovern sees the awards as a powerful stage for early-career designers. ‘I would like it to grow into a global platform for originality, one that not only supports artists but also fosters dialogue between creative disciplines and cultures. I want it to become a beacon for fearless creativity.’