British artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen has been awarded the 2024 Erasmus Prize by the Dutch Praemium Erasmianum Foundation. The prize includes a cash award of 150,000 euros (approximately $172,000) and a specially designed booklet featuring the script of the 16th-century scholar Desiderius Erasmus.
The award recognizes McQueen's exceptional contribution to the arts and humanities in Europe and beyond, specifically under the 2024 theme "Ecce Homo, Behold the Human Being." The foundation highlighted how his work, which often confronts difficult histories and human experiences, encourages viewers to look carefully and without prejudice in a world marked by polarization and inequality. This places him among a prestigious, interdisciplinary group of past laureates that includes architects, writers, activists, and entire organizations.