Leilah Babirye is an internationally acclaimed Ugandan artist based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work has been exhibited by major museums and galleries worldwide.

She brings to the jury the perspective of an internationally practicing artist whose career exemplifies artistic excellence and global impact.

Daudi Karungi is an artist, collector, curator, and Founder and Director of Afriart Gallery. He is also the Founder of the State of Art Summit (SAS). For over two decades he has championed emerging artists and connecting them with collectors, curators, and institutions across Africa and globally.

Karungi brings both a commercial and curatorial viewpoint to the jury.

Margaret Nagawa is a Ugandan art historian, curator, educator, and writer. She serves as Visiting Assistant Professor of Art and Visual Culture at Spelman College while pursuing her Ph.D. in Art History at Emory University. Her research and curatorial practice focus on contemporary African art and visual culture.

Nagawa’s scholarship and curatorial practice bring an important academic and institutional perspective to the jury.

Stephen Tio Kauma is a Ugandan collector, arts patron, and Managing Director and Global Head of Human Resources at Afreximbank and leader of the Bank’s Art Program. He previously served has the Chairman of a panel of Judges for MMA Art Prize, Uganda (2018 to 2022).

He currently serves as Founding Chairperson of the Contemporary Art Society of Uganda, contributing a vital collector's perspective to the jury.