Acclaimed visual activist and photographer Zanele Muholi has been named recipient of the Ethekwini Pride Impact Award 2026 in recognition of their profound contribution to LGBTQ+ visibility, representation, and empowerment. The honour comes at a pivotal moment during Pride Month and South Africa’s Youth Month, underscoring Muholi’s unwavering commitment to using art as a catalyst for dignity, education, and social change.
Fresh from winning the prestigious Hasselblad Award, one of photography’s highest international honours, Muholi continues to expand the reach of the Muholi Art Institute (MAI). The institute’s mission is clear: to democratise creative education and equip marginalised communities with the skills to tell their own stories. While the world celebrates Pride, Muholi is working hands-on in Salvador, Brazil, with local institutional learners through the Photo XP legacy project, delivering practical photography training that transforms lives on the ground.
“Winning this award at home is such a humble gesture that simply means I see you, we see you,” said Muholi. “It is a powerful reminder that our lives, our stories, and our love deserve to be seen, documented, and celebrated without apology.”
Muholi’s work has always gone far beyond the gallery walls. Through the Muholi Art Institute (MAI), they travel the world teaching photography to disadvantaged communities, many of whom have been excluded from both creative expression and economic opportunity. “Teaching photography to disadvantaged communities is the only language I know,” Muholi explains. “When given the right tools and support, this skill becomes more than an art form. It becomes an economic breakthrough, a means of self-representation, and a pathway to sustainable independence.”
This Pride Month, Muholi’s message resonates with renewed urgency: visibility is resistance, education is liberation, and authentic storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have against erasure and inequality. By placing cameras in the hands of queer, Black, and marginalised voices, Muholi is not only documenting history but actively shaping a more just and inclusive future.
As South Africa celebrates its youth this month, the Muholi Art Institute (MAI) is deepening its investment in young South African creatives. These emerging photographers are being mentored to take their place on the global stage, using their lenses to drive meaningful change in communities at home and abroad. The impact is already visible. Lives transformed, voices amplified, and new narratives emerging that challenge old stereotypes and inspire pride across generations.
Muholi’s journey, as they travel as a photographer and educator, shows no signs of slowing. Each day brings new communities, new learners, and new opportunities to document the rich tapestry of human experience. Through the Muholi Art Institute (MAI), this vital work of radical visibility, skills development, and community empowerment will continue to touch lives and shift perspectives for years to come.
“This award honours the path we have walked together, but the real measure of our progress lies in the hands of young people across the globe. Through photography education, we are not only protecting visibility. We are building a living legacy so that every generation that follows can document their own truths, claim their own power, and ensure that no story like ours is ever erased again.” Concludes Zanele Muholi.