The scholarship programme run by the Hungarian Academy of Arts has reached an important milestone since its launch: the total number of valid applications submitted has surpassed 10,000. This year, with almost eleven times as many applicants as available places, 1063 artists applied for the three-year scholarship supporting artistic practice, announced for the ninth consecutive year by the Hungarian Academy of Arts. The programme is administered by the Research Institute of Art Theory and Methodology of the Hungarian Academy of Arts.

Attila Turi, President of the Hungarian Academy of Arts and Koppány László Csáji, Director of the Research Institute of Art Theory and Methodology at the Hungarian Academy of Arts in charge of organising the scholarship programme, presented the results and importance of the programme at Villa Hild. Andrea Várnagy, Ferenc Liszt-Prize-winning pianist, Meritorious Artist, and alumna of the scholarship programme, her daughter, pianist Lili Farkas, as well as András Csáki, Liszt-Prize-winning guitarist, alumnus of the scholarship programme all contributed to the festive atmosphere with their live performance at the event. Launched in 2018, the scholarship aims to support creative and performing artists and researchers in art theory by providing financial support, expanding their professional networks, promoting their work and documenting their artistic careers. Since its launch, the programme has received 11,003 applications, marking an important milestone. This year, for the 2026-2029 scholarship, the window of application was open for 62 days, from 10 February 2026 to 13 April 2026, making it the longest application period in the programme’s history. Scholarship recipients receive a monthly stipend of HUF 200,000 in order to help them achieve their submitted project plans.

Fine arts remain the most popular category, design is also gaining traction.

This year, the 9 artistic fields – architecture, cinema and photography, industrial arts and design, literature, fine arts, art theory, folk art, theatre, and music – have received 1,063 applications in total, out of which 1,039 were valid both in terms of form and content. As in the previous year, fine arts remained the most popular category, followed by cinema and photography. 252 artists between the age of 18 and 50 submitted their applications for the former, 161 for the latter. Industrial arts and design was the third most sought-after of the artistic fields with 153 applicants, overtaking the highly competitive music category.

The number of scholarships awarded by the committee in each category was as follows: 17 for fine arts, 16 for cinema and photography, 7 for architecture, 8 for art theory, 8 for theatre, 11 for literature, 8 for folk art, 15 for industrial arts and design, and 10 for music.

Similarly to last year, more than half (541) of the applications were submitted on the last day. For several years, the proportion of scholarship holders who are Hungarians living beyond Hungary’s borders has remained consistent, generally accounting for 8-10%. Gender distribution remains balanced. In 2026, 46% of the recipients are women with 54% being men. By comparison, women accounted for 51% of recipients in 2022. The age profile shows that, even though the number of scholarship holders between the ages of 18 and 30 is significant, the majority belong to the 35+ age group.

The preliminary panel selected the 20 strongest applications, ranked them, and forwarded them to the final committee together with written evaluations. The committee consisted of 10 members, including the President of the Hungarian Academy of Arts and heads of the Academy’s artistic sections, namely Attila Turi (president of the committee), József Bazsinka, Zoltán Jánosi, László L. Simon, Erzsébet Rátkai (acting as deputy for Viktor Nagy), Ferenc Salamin, Ernő Sára, Béla Szerényi, József Szurcsik, and Dezső Zsigmond. Applications recommended for funding were assessed by the academicians in cooperation with independent experts. The funding period of the scholarship begins on 1 September 2026 and lasts until 31 August 2029. The list of successful applicants is available on the relevant website of the Research Institute of Art Theory and Methodology at the Hungarian Academy of Arts: osztondij.mma-mmki.hu/

Photography by Péter Walter / Hungarian Academy of Arts