Turnip Prize art winner for 2025 is ‘bitter and twisted’

The winner of the coveted 2025 Turnip Prize has been announced.

Organised by a Somerset pub each year, the Turnip Prize is awarded to the person who has created a very bad artwork using the least amount of effort possible. It is a parody of the world-famous Turner Prize.

At a special ceremony at The New Inn in Wedmore, Somerset, the prestigious art award was given to 69-year-old Ali Can for his piece entitled Bitter & Twisted, which consists of a crushed can of beer.

“It’s a great honour to receive the fantastic prize and I look forward to being pedaled around all of the media studios to air my story,” said Mr Can.

This was the 27th time the Turnip Prize had been presented. The winner takes home a turnip impaled on a rusty six inch nail in a block of wood as a trophy and a blue plaque.

The event began in response to Tracey Emin’s My Bed being shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 1999.

This was not the first time Mr Can had entered the competition and he said his winning piece had been inspired by past injustices.

“Whilst on a bike ride, I was contemplating on what to enter and remembering I was robbed in the 2022 Turnip Prize final by some geezer from London,” he said.

“I’m a little ‘bitter n twisted’ that the 2022 blue plaque left the village, so that’s the reason behind my entry,” he added.

Turnip Prize organiser Trevor Prideaux said he was “delighted with the lack of effort taken to create this work”, which was one of 69 entries.

He said: “It’s fantastic that Ali Can has won. He clearly has what it takes to be recognised in modern art circles and will be remembered in art history for no time at all.

“I believe that over the last 27 years the artists entering Turnip Prize have created by far better works than Alex Farquharson and The Tate Britain Gallery could ever wish to exhibit.”

Organisers auctioned off the chance to be a judge at this year’s event as a way of raising money for charity.