NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards: Jury gathers to recognise artistic excellence

The Grand Jury of the NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards came together on 12 January 2026 to imagine a meaningful and enduring cultural conversation around Indian art and culture.

The jury meeting brought together an exceptional assembly of artists, patrons, curators, collectors, and cultural leaders – individuals whose work had shaped institutions, movements, and artistic discourse across India and internationally. Their presence in the jury underscored a rigorous and considered process that guided the inaugural edition of the NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards.

Reflecting on the intent behind the initiative, Rahul Kanwal, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of the NDTV Network, said:

“Art is central to how a society understands itself. With the NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards, our effort is to bring discernment, seriousness, and continuity to the recognition of artistic excellence, and to place art firmly within the larger public and cultural conversation. We have an exceptional assembly of achievers and experts who will guide the selection process. We look forward to the Awards becoming an eminent and definitive global conversation on Indian arts and culture.”

The NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards were rooted in cultural responsibility. The awards aimed to celebrate artistic excellence as a sustained practice, recognising individuals and institutions whose contributions had shaped the creation, support, and experience of art over time.

The Grand Jury of the NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards comprised Kiran Nadar, Jury Chair and Chairperson, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art NDTV, Akshata Murty, Director, The Office of Akshata Murty and Rishi Sunak, Anjolie Ela Menon, Contemporary Artist, Abhishek Poddar, Founder, Museum of Art & Photography (MAP), Kishore Singh, Author & Writer, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Fashion Designer, Sandy Angus, Owner & Head, India Art Fair, Shanay Jhaveri, Head, Visual Arts, Barbican Centre, London, Ibrahim Mahama, Contemporary Artist & Founder, Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art, Dr. Payal Kanodia, Chairperson & Trustee, M3M Foundation and Dr Pheroza J. Godrej, Art Historian, Writer and Founder, Cymroza Art Gallery.

Together, the jury represented voices and perspectives from the universe of art - spanning modern and contemporary art, visual culture, cinema, fashion, institutional leadership, and cultural patronage. This ensured that the awards are guided by multiple ways of seeing, interpreting, and valuing artistic contribution.

Speaking on the philosophy of the Masterstroke Art Awards, Rohit Chawla, Creative Director, NDTV, said:

“The Masterstroke Art Awards is an attempt to honour artistic pursuits with seriousness and acknowledge work that shapes how we see, think, and engage with the world over time, with art at the centre of the conversation. Our eminent Jury amplifies this idea.”

For NDTV, the Masterstroke Art Awards reflected a clear editorial commitment to art and culture. Long before art entered mainstream public discourse, NDTV had engaged with Indian art and artists with seriousness and purpose.  

The meeting of the Grand Jury on 12 January 2026 set the tone for that endeavour. It marked the beginning of a process guided by knowledge and integrity - one that culminated in the inaugural NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards in the first week of February and continues to inform a larger, ongoing cultural dialogue.