Three Ghanaian creatives – Baaba J, Neal Davids and Menenaba have been named among the 100 recipients of the 2026 Prince Claus Fund Seed Awards. The recognition places them on a global list of emerging artists whose work engages with pressing socio-political themes.
The Prince Claus Fund, based in the Netherlands, announced the 2026 Seed Awardees as part of its ongoing support for artists working in contexts where culture faces pressure. Each recipient receives €5,000 in unrestricted funding along with international visibility and access to the Fund’s network.
The awards target experimental, critical and community-oriented practices across disciplines including music, visual art, photography, performance and literature.
Baaba J, a singer, songwriter and performer based in Ghana, was recognised for championing gender equality through music. Working in alternative Afro-folk and indie styles, the artist blends Ga and English lyrics to explore self-love, women’s rights and queer visibility. Originally from Tema, Baaba J draws inspiration from artists such as Asa, Koffee, Obongjayar and Abdullah Ibrahim. Their debut EP, Lumumba St, was released in 2021.
In 2023 they became the only Ghanaian selected for Spotify’s Radar programme. Subsequent releases, including Okay Baby, Let’s Do This and the 2024 EP In Pursuit of Happiness, earned multiple nominations at the 3Music Awards and established the artist as a distinctive voice in Ghana’s alternative music scene.
Neal Davids was selected for work that champions free expression through visual art and fashion. The Ghanaian creative uses these mediums to push boundaries around personal and collective identity, contributing to broader conversations about creative freedom in contemporary African practice.
Menenaba, a writer, curator and cultural historian based in Ghana, earned recognition for reexamining history through visual art and photography. Their practice sits at the intersection of photography and social history, focusing on how everyday life, memory and place are documented and transmitted across generations.
Emphasising collaborative methods, youth mentorship and the creation of living archives rooted in local communities, Menenaba has led national and international projects. These include Someone Somewhere Beyond, a multi-city photography initiative inspired by the legacy of Ghanaian photographer James Barnor.
They have collaborated with institutions such as Al Jazeera, the Manhyia Palace Museum and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board. Their writing has appeared in publications including Hyperallergic and The Polis Project. Themes in their work also touch on sexual and queer expression as well as environmental and climate concerns.
The Seed Awards form one strand of the Prince Claus Fund’s support structure. While the Fund also presents Impact Awards to more established practitioners this year awarded solely to Ghanaian artist and educator kąrî’kạchä seid’ou – the Seed programme specifically targets emerging voices. The 2026 cohort of 100 artists was drawn from regions including Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe.
Their practices address themes such as reexamining histories, the climate emergency, queer expression and the pursuit of more open societies.
Relevance of the Inclusion of the Three Artist
For Ghana, the inclusion of three artists on the list highlights the diversity of contemporary creative practice in the country. Baaba J’s music-driven advocacy, Neal Davids’ exploration of free expression through visual and fashion languages, and Menenaba’s archival and photographic engagement with history represent different yet complementary approaches to socially engaged art.
The unrestricted nature of the €5,000 grant is designed to give recipients flexibility. Artists may use the funds for materials, research, production, travel or other needs that support the development of their work.
Beyond the financial support, the award brings international attention that can open doors to further residencies, collaborations and platforms.
The Prince Claus Fund was established in 1996 in honour of the late Prince Claus of the Netherlands, who advocated for culture as a vital force in development and social progress. Over nearly three decades it has supported thousands of artists and cultural practitioners, particularly in places where artistic freedom and cultural infrastructure face constraints.
The 2026 Seed Awards arrive in a year when the Fund is also marking its 30th anniversary. The formal recognition of the awardees forms part of a broader programme of activities that includes the Impact Award ceremony scheduled for November in Amsterdam.
For Baaba J, Neal Davids and Menenaba, the selection affirms the relevance of their individual practices within both local and global conversations. It also adds their names to a growing list of Ghanaian creatives who have received international institutional support in recent years.
As the artists continue their work, the Seed Award provides both practical resources and a platform that can amplify their contributions. In music, visual art, photography, and cultural history, the three represent distinct strands of a vibrant and critically engaged Ghanaian creative landscape now gaining wider recognition through one of Europe’s established cultural funds.
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