The International Ibsen Award Announces the Artistic Criteria for 2026

The International Ibsen Award today presents the artistic criteria guiding the selection of the 2026 laureate. The criteria, introduced publicly for the first time at the event Norway Now in New York by Ingrid Lorentzen, Chair of the Award Committee, foreground theatre as a vital space for assembly, imagination, and democratic reflection.

Theatre as the “space in between”

In a world too often positioned through the “for and against,” the 2026 criteria recognise theatre as the space in between — a site for gathering, a place to envision and inspire what we might not yet know. They honour theatre made through compassion and kindness; the experience of art as a reminder of the human capacity to nurture and share beauty, hope and joy; and theatre as a form that creates time and space for reflection.

Art that brings people together

“In a time when the world feels increasingly divided, it matters deeply that we celebrate artistic work that brings people together. The International Ibsen Award highlights theatre that opens space for shared experience and genuine understanding,” says Ingrid Lorentzen, Chair of The International Ibsen Award Committee.

“The criteria are important because they highlight theatre as a place that resists division, where we can imagine beyond the immediate and meet each other with generosity. They affirm that art can open moments of clarity, hope and shared attention, and help us hold on to the quiet work that keeps democracy alive,” says Lorentzen.

The World’s Largest Theatre Prize

Since 2007, The International Ibsen Award has been funded by the Norwegian government and is presented biennially with no restrictions or expectations, recognising extraordinary artistic achievement in the spirit of Henrik Ibsen. With a prize sum of NOK 2.5 million, which makes it the worlds largest theatre prize. it honours artists who broaden the artistic and societal possibilities of the stage.

Past laureates include Peter Brook, Ariane Mnouchkine, Jon Fosse, Forced Entertainment, Back to Back Theatre, Taylor Mac and Lola Arias. The 2026 laureate will be announced on Henrik Ibsen’s birthday, the 20th of March 2026.

Henrik Ibsen remains the world’s second most frequently performed playwright, and The International Ibsen Award that bears his name celebrates artists whose work carries forward thislegacy — work shaped by compassion and kindness, where imagination becomes resilience, and where beauty, hope and joy open new ways of seeing the world.