Queen Sonja Print Award

What Queen Sonja Print Award does

The Queen Sonja Print Award (QSPA) is a Norwegian non-profit foundation (Stiftelsen The Queen Sonja Print Award) established in 2011 under the patronage of HM Queen Sonja of Norway to promote graphic art and honor international artists working in fine art printmaking. Headquartered in Oslo, QSPA operates three biennial awards: the Queen Sonja Print Award (its flagship international prize, described as the world's leading award for graphic art), the QSPA Inspirational Award for emerging Nordic artists, and the QSPA Lifetime Achievement Award for artists with sustained contributions to printmaking. Past laureates include David Hockney, Anselm Kiefer, William Kentridge, and Paula Rego, and the 2026 cycle awarded Tacita Dean, Judy Chicago, and Alejandra Aguilar Caballero.

The foundation runs a permanent exhibition space in Bjørvika, Oslo's cultural hub, alongside a calendar of traveling exhibitions at partner venues including the National Museum in Oslo, the Royal Academy of Arts in London, Nusfjord Village and Resort in Lofoten, and Trafo Editions in Asker. QSPA supports artist residencies through partnerships with Artica Svalbard (Longyearbyen) and Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE) in New York, enabling Inspirational Award recipients to study internationally. The foundation also maintains a membership program offering free admission to partner museums and direct access to openings and events.

The operating model is endowment-funded: prize money and operating expenses are drawn from the yield on the HM Queen Sonja Art Foundation's capital, supplemented by gifts and contributions. With a 5-person team, QSPA combines a digitally oriented marketing presence (website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, newsletter) with a curated, event-driven biennial cadence anchored on award ceremonies, international seminars, and traveling exhibitions.

Name

Queen Sonja Print Award

Legal name

Stiftelsen The Queen Sonja Print Award

Website

https://queensonjaprintaward.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Queen Sonja Print Award is a Norwegian non-profit foundation that promotes graphic art by awarding three biennial prizes—the Queen Sonja Print Award, QSPA Inspirational Award, and QSPA Lifetime Achievement Award—to international, emerging Nordic, and master printmakers, while running a permanent exhibition space in Oslo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Arts Foundation / Printmaking Awards

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Graphic art awards
• Fine art printmaking
• Contemporary print art
• Artist residencies
• Exhibition programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Operations: The Queen Sonja Print Award Foundation is a non-profit arts organization funded by HM Queen Sonja Art Foundation's capital, gifts, and contributions. The prize is determined by the board and taken from the yield on the Foundation's capital.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Queen Sonja Print Award Foundation is a nonprofit arts organization that presents three biennial awards recognizing excellence in fine art printmaking: the Queen Sonja Print Award for international artists, the QSPA Inspirational Award for emerging Nordic artists, and the QSPA Lifetime Achievement Award. The foundation also operates a dedicated exhibition space in Bjørvika, Oslo, and runs collaborative artistic projects and residency programs in partnership with leading international print studios.

Product overview

The Queen Sonja Print Award (QSPA) is an art foundation established in 2011 dedicated to promoting graphic art and honoring international artists working within fine art printmaking. The organization operates a portfolio of three biennial awards: the Queen Sonja Print Award (the world's leading award for graphic art), the QSPA Inspirational Award (for emerging Nordic artists), and the QSPA Lifetime Achievement Award (for artists' lifelong contributions to printmaking). The foundation also maintains an exhibition space in Bjørvika, Oslo, and runs collaborative artistic projects between HM Queen Sonja and invited artists. QSPA engages in artist residencies through partnerships like Artica Svalbard, and offers a membership program providing exclusive access to cultural institutions across Norway.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Queen Sonja Print Award The world's leading award for graphic art, presented biennially to an ambitious and promising artist who has excelled in the field of printmaking. Winners are nominated by an international network of professionals, curators, artists, and art institutions.
• QSPA Inspirational Award Award for a Nordic artist currently pursuing or recently completed art education, whose practice makes active use of printmaking. Established in memory of Kjell Nupen and presented in collaboration with master printer Bill Goldston at ULAE.
• QSPA Lifetime Achievement Award Award honoring artists for outstanding careers and lifelong dedication to graphic art and printmaking, with selection made by the QSPA Board.
• QSPA Exhibition Space in Bjørvika The foundation's dedicated exhibition space located in Bjørvika, Oslo's cultural hub, dedicated to raising public awareness of and interest in graphic art through curated exhibitions.
• QSPA Membership Program Annual membership supporting the foundation's work, offering exclusive invitations to openings and events plus free admission to The Royal Collections, KODE art museum, Lillehammer art museum, National Museum of Art Architecture and Design, and Henie Onstad Art Centre.
• QSPA Collaborations Exhibition Program Exhibition program showcasing collaborative artistic projects between HM Queen Sonja and invited artists, demonstrating how collaboration expands artistic practice while supporting the award's development and the future of printmaking.
• Artica Svalbard Artist Residency Artist residency program delivered with Artica Svalbard in Longyearbyen, providing nominated artists with funding, artistic direction, and print studio facilities to develop new print-based work in Svalbard's cultural and environmental context.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Artica SvalbardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Partnership for artist residency programs where nominated artists develop new print-based work in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. QSPA provides funding and artistic direction while Artica provides print studio facilities. The residency enables artists to engage with Svalbard's cultural and environmental context.
• Trafo Editions (Asker)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrafo Editions, established by Magne Furuholmen in 2014, is a graphics and framing studio specializing in production and display of Norwegian and international original graphics. Hosted exhibition 'Mellom rom' featuring HM Queen Sonja and Håvard Homstvedt.
• Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaster printer Bill Goldston at ULAE collaborates with QSPA on the Inspirational Award, enabling winners to study in New York. ULAE is one of the world's leading fine art print studios.
• Nusfjord Village and ResortminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual exhibition venue in Lofoten, Norway. The QSPA 2026 exhibition presents works by HM Queen Sonja and Lars Lerin with focus on Norwegian landscape.
• OCA - Office for Contemporary Art NorwayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports the Queen Sonja Print Award 2026 program as a governmental body supporting contemporary art.
• The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign AffairsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports the award program, providing governmental backing for international cultural initiatives.
• Partner MuseumsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMembership benefits include free admission for members to The Royal Collections, KODE art museum and composer homes, Lillehammer art museum, National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, and Henie Onstad Art Centre.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bucksbaum Award (Whitney Museum): The Bucksbaum Award is given biennially to an artist who has made an extraordinary contribution to contemporary art, awarded alongside the Whitney Biennial. It is directly comparable to QSPA as a prestigious, biennial, museum-adjacent contemporary art award with international scope.
• Herb Alpert Award in the Arts: The Herb Alpert Award in the Arts is an annual prize recognizing mid-career artists in dance, film/video, music, theater, and visual arts. It is comparable to QSPA in being a category-defining artist recognition program administered by a private foundation with cash prize and exhibition support.
• Turner Prize (Tate): The Turner Prize is one of the world's most prestigious contemporary art awards, presented biennially to a living British artist (or based in Britain). QSPA is directly comparable as a biennial international contemporary art award with significant brand prestige, jury selection, and high-profile ceremony tied to a major museum.
• Highpoint Center for Printmaking: Highpoint Center for Printmaking is a nonprofit printmaking center in Minneapolis offering residencies, education, and exhibitions. It is the closest direct peer to QSPA's printmaking-focused mission, combining residencies, exhibitions, and public engagement around graphic art.
• Tamarind Institute: Tamarind Institute is a renowned nonprofit lithography workshop and research center at the University of New Mexico, dedicated to preserving and advancing fine art lithography. Comparable to QSPA in promoting fine art printmaking practices, training, and artist support.
• Nasher Prize: The Nasher Prize is a biennial international award recognizing a living artist whose work has had an extraordinary impact in the field of sculpture. It is comparable to QSPA as a globally recognized biennial contemporary art prize with a distinguished jury and high-profile institutional tie (Nasher Museum).
• Hugo Boss Prize (Guggenheim): The Hugo Boss Prize is a biennial international contemporary art award administered by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. It is highly comparable to QSPA in structure (biennial international award, distinguished jury, major institutional partnership, financial prize).

Broad incumbents

• Joan Mitchell Foundation: The Joan Mitchell Foundation is a U.S. nonprofit that supports working artists through grants, residencies, and archives. It is a comparable broad arts grantmaking foundation supporting visual artists across disciplines, with a similar foundation-led grants/residencies/exhibitions model.

Emerging players

• Edition Copenhagen: Edition Copenhagen is a leading international fine art print studio in Denmark that collaborates with QSPA on artist projects. Comparable as a printmaking institution focused on producing and exhibiting original prints with international artists.
• Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE): ULAE is a master print studio in Long Island, NY, founded in 1957 and a collaborator on QSPA's Inspirational Award. Comparable as a printmaking-focused institution that supports fine art print through studio residencies, master printers, and exhibition partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/QueenSonjaPrintAward
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/queen-sonja-print-award
• Instagraminstagram.com/qspa_foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Queen Sonja Print Award