The Hugo Boss Prize was an award given every other year to an artist (or group of artists) working in any medium, anywhere in the world. Upon its establishment in 1996, it distinguished itself from other art awards because it has no restrictions on nationality or age.[1] The prize was administered by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and sponsored by the Hugo Boss clothing company, which since 1995 has been sponsoring various exhibitions and activities at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.[2] It included a cash award of US$100,000 and a tetrahedral trophy.
A jury of five to six curators, critics, and scholars was responsible for the selection of the artists. They nominated six or seven artists for the shortlist; several months later, they chose the winner of the prize. In the prize's early years, most nominated artists were little known.[1] In 1996 and 1998, the nominated artists exhibited their work at the now-defunct Guggenheim Soho, where a space on the second floor was named the Hugo Boss Gallery in 1996;[3] since 2000, only the winning artist has shown his or her work. The Guggenheim Foundation discontinued the prize in 2022.[4][5]