Tampere celebrated cultural operators and professional artists
A total of 133 applications for the 2026 Professional Artists Incentive Grants were received by the deadline.
The visual arts, including fine arts, photography, film, architecture/art and children's culture, were the main categories of this year's art selection.
– Professional artists do a truly diverse and valuable job in promoting cultural life in Tampere. At the same time, they strengthen the attractiveness and reputation of our city in the Finnish cultural scene. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to those who submitted their applications, says Deputy Mayor Anne-Mari Jussila.
Grants are awarded to applicants from Tampere for artistic activities, exhibitions or supplementary further education not leading to a degree. Grants are not awarded for hobby activities, to groups or associations, or to applicants who have received a grant in the previous two calendar years.
In addition to the professional artists' incentive grants, the Town Hall also awarded the Cultural Achievement of the Year 2025 Prize, Tampere City Literature Prize and the Eino Salmelainen Foundation's Recognition Prize for Theatre Artists.
Cultural Achievement of the Year 2025
Tracon ry
Incentive grants for professional artists 2026
Emma-Lotta Kiuru
Kirsi Liimatainen
Kardo Shiwan
Liisa Ahlfors
Jonna Karanka
Aleksi Korpela
Janetta Pytälaakso
Minna Soraluoma
Jouni Toni
Silja Tusa
Linda Kuha
Tytti Marttila
Meri-Maija Näykki
Taina Laaksonen
Terhi Asumaniemi
Tampere City Literature Awards in 2025
Kaisa Happonen: Mur ja metsänpeitto (Tammi)
Kaisa Happonen's poems in Mur ja metsänpeitto lead her readers and listeners into the world of word art in a gentle way. The poetry reaches out with its succinct expression to huge ideas. Anna Vasko's warm illustrations support the child's understated expression in an excellent way.
Anna Elina Isoaro: Tavara-avaruus (WSOY)
Anna Elina Isoaro's poems in Tavara-avaruus explore objects from insightful perspectives in rich, contemporary language. Traditional rhymes are treated with a fresh approach. Objects flow through the pages of the book, illustrated by Mira Mallius, without falling into the trap of preaching about a topical subject.
Emmi Itäranta: Lumenlaulaja (Teos)
Emmi Itäranta's Lumenlaulaja is a successfully modernised perspective on Kalevala, breaking through from fiction to real social debate. This fresh interpretation, written in a sensitive and beautiful style, constructs a multi-layered fantasy from the world of Kalevala, with a strong female perspective that is also relevant to our times.
Taru Kumara-Moisio: Unissa raivoan isälle (Atrain & Nord)
Taru Kumara-Moisio's Unissa raivoan isälle is a narratively progressive work of poetry on a tough but, unfortunately, often touching subject. Beautifully written, it explores family relationships under the guise of alcoholism and the devastating effects of this disease on human relationships. The book touches the reader through the growth story of a sympathetic narrator.
J.P. Laitinen: Hirviö (Work)
J.P. Laitinen's Hirviö is a fascinating hybrid of pamphlet and creative writing that elegantly plays with linear time and storytelling. The work paints the reader with an arresting picture of the developments that have led to the impending environmental catastrophe, and of the interaction between man and nature in the near future.
Heli Rantala: Pummi (Avain)
Heli Rantala's Pummi deals with the life of a young orienteer injured in a road accident from a fresh perspective. In this in many ways luminous book for young people, the protagonist is confronted with the past of the injury. Pummi is a vivid work that dares to tackle experiences of uncertainty and takes a stand on growing up in the crossfire of limitations.
Janne Riitakorpi: Naamion takaa (Momentum Books)
Janne Riitakorpi's debut novel, Naamion takaa, creates a timely and chillingly plausible scenario of peace breaking out on Finland's eastern border. The work frightens the reader with its realism, without succumbing to enemy demonisation or hostility. The intriguingly constructed opening of this detective story leads the reader into an atmosphere of suspense that carries throughout the work.
Riina Tanskanen: Luokkakipuja (Into)
Riina Tanskanen's Luokkakipuja perfectly captures the decadence of peripheral regions. This work, which prides itself on its girlishness, can be compared to high-quality academic research in terms of the sharpness of its class analysis. Luokkakipuja is evocatively relatable and touches the reader on many levels, regardless of gender.
Eino Salmelainen Foundation's 2026 Prize winners
Eero Peltola-Auvinen
Soile Ojala
Heidi Kollanus
Pirjo Punkka
Tarja Pulkkinen
