MOCA Toronto to Honour Shirin Neshat and Tim and Frances Price at the 2025 MOCA Toronto Award & Gala

The Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA) will celebrate the 2025 recipients of the MOCA Toronto Award at its most prestigious fundraising event, the MOCA Toronto Award & Gala, on December 3, 2025, at Evergreen Brick Works. This year’s honourees are internationally acclaimed artist Shirin Neshat, receiving the MOCA Artist Award with a $25,000 prize, and dedicated arts patrons Tim and Frances Price, recipients of the MOCA Luminary Award.

Established in 2007, the MOCA Toronto Award & Gala brings together leaders from across the arts, business, and cultural communities and celebrates visionary contributions to contemporary art. Reflecting MOCA’s mission and values of equity, inclusion, and access, the Award underscores the museum’s role as a platform for cultural leadership. Past recipients include Rajni Perera, Salah Bachir, Partners in Art, Edward Burtynsky, and Michael Snow.

“Through the MOCA Toronto Award & Gala, we honour those who are truly shaping the future of contemporary art — visionary artists whose work challenges, inspires, and sparks dialogue, alongside community leaders whose generosity ensures this work reaches the public and continues to thrive,” says Kathleen S. Bartels, Executive Director and CEO, MOCA Toronto. “We are proud to celebrate Shirin Neshat and Tim and Frances Price for their extraordinary contributions to art and culture, whose impact resonates locally, nationally, and globally, and whose support sustains MOCA’s mission to champion contemporary artists and engage the community in meaningful ways.”

The MOCA Artist Award

Presented with a $25,000 prize recognizing a groundbreaking visual artist whose work exemplifies innovation and social impact.
2025 Honouree: Shirin Neshat – internationally acclaimed visual artist known for her powerful explorations of identity, politics, and gender.

The MOCA Luminary Award

Celebrating those who have made transformative contributions to contemporary art through leadership, philanthropy, or advocacy.
2025 Honourees: Tim and Frances Price – dedicated arts patrons and champions of cultural advancement in Toronto.

Shirin Neshat is an Iranian-born artist and filmmaker based in New York whose work spans photography, video, film, and opera. Her practice explores power, religion, gender, exile, and identity, drawing from her experiences as an Iranian woman living in exile since the 1990s. Over the past three decades, Neshat has exhibited internationally and directed feature films, earning honours including the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale and the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

In 2022, MOCA presented Land of Dreams, Neshat’s first major solo exhibition in Canada in 20 years, which featured over 100 portraits alongside video works and a feature-length documentary produced by MOCA. “My exhibition at MOCA in 2022 was a true highlight in my artistic career and a rare opportunity to share my work with the Canadian audience. I’m now thrilled and beyond honoured to have been the recipient of a prestigious award by the museum in 2025. I look forward to returning to Toronto and meeting the MOCA community again.”

Tim and Frances Price are being honoured with the 2025 MOCA Luminary Award for their visionary leadership and exceptional philanthropic support of the arts in Canada. Their transformative contributions to MOCA, exceeding $6 million, have been pivotal to initiatives including the Tomorrow of Contemporary Art campaign, the naming of the Price Family Community Gallery at MOCA, and most recently support for the museum’s community-engaged programming and services.

Tim and Frances are distinguished leaders across the arts, education, and other nonprofit sectors, providing transformational support that reflects their enduring commitment to shaping a vibrant, inclusive cultural landscape, and their belief in the transformative power of the arts.

Support the 2025 MOCA Toronto Award & Gala

The 2025 MOCA Toronto Award & Gala is generously sponsored by Evian and Goodmans LLP, and the 2025 Artist Award is supported by Alfredo and Moira Romano.

The evening will feature a cocktail reception, followed by a seated dinner, an awards programme, and special performances by Ballet Creole and DJ Classic Roots. Guests will enjoy a vibrant atmosphere, celebrating leaders in contemporary art and bringing together artists, philanthropists, and cultural advocates from across Canada. Funds raised will directly support MOCA’s exhibitions and community programming, making this a truly impactful event.

Individual tickets and tables are still available. Individual tickets are $1,200 and tables (10 seats) are $12,000. For additional information, please visit https://moca.ca/awardsgala2025 or email development@moca.ca.

About MOCA Toronto 

The Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA) is a non-profit independent museum dedicated to fostering access to the arts in an inclusive cultural hub. The museum presents rotating exhibitions that prioritize twenty-first-century artistic production, primarily through commissioning of new work. Artists, partnerships, experimentation, and reciprocal initiatives are at the centre of MOCA’s mission as a locally rooted and internationally connected organization. Focused on core values promoting equity, inclusion and access, MOCA fosters active participation and engagement to serve as a welcoming gathering place in the hyper-diverse city of Toronto. MOCA offers unparalleled access to contemporary art, making it the ultimate art destination in the Greater Toronto Area. For more information on MOCA Toronto visit moca.ca.