Public art, and murals in particular, have been growing in popularity. To honor this flourishing branch of the contemporary art world, the National Mural Awards was founded with the intent to honor and recognize the best examples of mural art across the country.

The 2024 awards will feature Gold, Silver and Bronze awards presented to the top three murals in each of six U.S. regions, with the regional winners each qualifying for the National Awards.

Only murals completed in the 2023 calendar year (Jan 1 - Dec 31) are eligible. 

Regions are outlined in the attached site details.

AWARDS

Awards will be given for the top three winners in each of six regions. Top regional winners will be re-judged by a second panel for the national awards. Criteria for judging includes:

1. Interpretation and clarity of the theme.
2. Creativity, uniqueness, and originality.
3. Quality of composition, balance, use of space and overall design.
4. Skill, use of technique, and craftsmanship.
5. Overall impression of the art.

In addition to the awards, winners will also be featured on the National Mural Awards website and social media accounts, will receive graphic packages to share on their own social media pages, and will qualify for additional benefits throughout the year. 

JUDGING

Murals will be scored anonymously by a panel of judges. This years panel of judges includes:

• Lesly Allen (Executive Arts Director, South Salt Lake Mural Fest)
• Amber Danielson (Executive Director, Marshall County Arts & Culture Alliance )
• Alyssa Barrera Mason (Executive Director, Corpus Christi Downtown Management District)
• Tarra Petras (Public Art Coordinator, City of Cleveland)
• Bethany Howard (Project Manager, City Walls, Detroit)
• Amanda Still (Arts and Culture Coordinator, City of Georgetown, TX)
• Jason Tetlak (Executive Director, National Mural Awards)
 

Application Requirements

Artist can only submit ONE mural for consideration, and can do so by uploading an image showing their entire completed mural. Two additional images can be submitted to show detail or alternate views of the artwork if necessary. Images must include the dimensions, location and completion date. To make it as easy as possible for judges to score your mural we suggest submitting an image of the entire mural with no people or obstructions. Only the artist that completed the mural (or the lead artist if completed by a team) may submit an entry. 

Please note: entries are submitted in the region where the art was installed, not where the artist resides, and only one entry per artist is allowed.

Eligibility Criteria

Only murals completed in the 2023 calendar year (Jan 1 - Dec 31) are eligible.  For the purposes of this competition, a mural is defined as any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. The artwork itself can be permanent or temporary, and can be of any size.