The Grand Jury of the NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards meets today, January 13, 2026, marking a significant step towards recognising artistic excellence and deepening the cultural conversation around Indian art and culture. The meeting brings together an eminent group of artists, patrons, curators, collectors and cultural leaders whose collective work has shaped institutions, movements and artistic discourse in India and across the world.

According to a press release issued by NDTV, the coming together of the Grand Jury underscores the seriousness and rigour behind the inaugural edition of the Masterstroke Art Awards. The initiative is envisioned as a long-term cultural platform that places art at the centre of public dialogue, guided by knowledge, discernment and continuity.

Reflecting on the intent behind the awards, Rahul Kanwal, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of the NDTV Network, said that art is central to how a society understands itself. He noted that through the NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards, the network aims to bring seriousness and sustained focus to the recognition of artistic excellence, while firmly embedding art within the larger public and cultural conversation. Kanwal added that the distinguished jury would play a critical role in shaping what he hopes will become an eminent global conversation on Indian arts and culture.

The NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards are rooted in a sense of cultural responsibility, with a focus on celebrating artistic excellence as a sustained practice. The awards seek to recognise individuals and institutions whose contributions have shaped the creation, support and experience of art over time, rather than momentary success or visibility.

The Grand Jury is chaired by Kiran Nadar, Chairperson of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, and includes Akshata Murty, Director at The Office of Akshata Murty and Rishi Sunak; contemporary artist Anjolie Ela Menon; Abhishek Poddar, Founder of the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP); author and writer Kishore Singh; fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee; Sandy Angus, Owner and Head of India Art Fair; Shanay Jhaveri, Head of Visual Arts at the Barbican Centre, London; contemporary artist and cultural institution founder Ibrahim Mahama; Dr Payal Kanodia, Chairperson and Trustee of the M3M Foundation; and art historian, writer and gallerist Dr Pheroza J. Godrej.

Together, the jury represents a wide spectrum of voices from the world of art, spanning modern and contemporary practices, visual culture, cinema, fashion, institutional leadership and cultural patronage. This diversity ensures that the awards are guided by multiple perspectives on how artistic contribution is created, interpreted and valued.

Speaking on the philosophy behind the initiative, Rohit Chawla, Creative Director at NDTV, said the Masterstroke Art Awards are an effort to honour artistic pursuits with seriousness and to acknowledge work that shapes how society sees, thinks and engages with the world over time, with art firmly at the centre of that conversation. He added that the stature and diversity of the jury amplify this vision.

For NDTV, the Masterstroke Art Awards reflect a long-standing editorial commitment to art and culture. The network has engaged with Indian art and artists with depth and purpose well before art became part of mainstream public discourse. The meeting of the Grand Jury today sets the tone for that commitment, initiating a process grounded in integrity and insight that will culminate in the inaugural NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards in the first week of February, while continuing to inform a larger, ongoing cultural dialogue.