Awards and Prizes
Source: https://arts.mit.edu/camit/awards/ Parent: https://arts.mit.edu/camit/
The Council for the Arts at MIT presents several awards annually to MIT students who have demonstrated excellence in the arts. CAMIT also oversees the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT, which recognizes an artist, from outside the Institute, who has demonstrated excellence in the creative arts.
For more information, please contact council-arts@mit.edu.
2026 Award Submission Deadline: March 13
Sudler Prize\ Wiesner Award\ Schnitzer Prize
2025 Wiesner Award recipient Ezekiel Daye '25. Credit Danny Goldfield.
Laya and Jerome B. Wiesner Student Art Awards
The Laya and Jerome B. Wiesner Student Art Awards are presented annually to individual students (undergraduate or graduate) or MIT groups (.i.e. living groups, student organizations) for outstanding arts-related contributions to the MIT community. Up to four awards are made annually. An endowment fund provides a $2,000 award to each recipient.
Read about the 2025 winners here
Cycle: Annual
Eligibility: Undergraduate or graduate students at MIT
Process: Nomination by peers, faculty, or staff (self-nominations not accepted)
Louis Sudler Prize
The Louis Sudler Prize is presented annually to an individual graduating senior who has demonstrated excellence and the highest standards of proficiency in music, theater, painting, sculpture, design, architecture or film. An endowment fund provides a $2,500 award to the honoree.
Read about the 2025 winner here
Cycle: Annual
Eligibility: Graduating MIT senior
Process: Nomination by faculty or staff (self-nominations not accepted)
2025 Schnitzer Prize Recipient Vinzenz Aubry's Public Eyes. Courtesy of the artist.
Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Prize
The Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Prize in the Visual Arts is presented to current MIT students, undergraduate and graduate, for excellence in a body of work in the visual arts. Students submit an artistic portfolio for consideration. A generous endowment allows for the award of several graduate student prizes of $5,000 each, and undergraduate prizes of $2,500. Recipients also participate in a joint exhibition online and in the Wiesner Student Art Gallery.
Read about the 2025 winners here
Cycle: Annual
Eligibility: Undergraduate or graduate students at MIT
Process: Self-nomination, application with an artistic portfolio
Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT
Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT
The Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT recognizes rising, innovative talents and offers its recipient a $100,000 prize and a campus residency. The award may be given to an artist working in any field or cross-disciplinary activity, including architecture, creative writing, dance, design, filmmaking, media arts, music, theater and visual arts.
Cycle: Every other year
Eligibility: Artist working in any field or cross-disciplinary activity
Process: Requested nominations by selection committee
John Harbison. Photo: Jon Sachs.
György Kepes Fellowship Prize
The György Kepes Fellowship Prize is presented to a member of the MIT community who has demonstrated excellence in the creative arts, including architecture, visual and performing arts, and writing.
Cycle: As identified
Eligibility: MIT community members, with a focus on faculty or staff
Process: Nomination