A list of 23 artists, nominated by experts in the field of contemporary art has been revealed. The artists have been nominated for the Northern Art Prize 2009, which is being supported by Leeds Met and is now entering its third year, with renewed support from the cultural, private and public sectors.

The long-listed artists are in the running to receive the recognised accolade that has become the focus of much interest, competition and debate across the contemporary art world, drawing winners from a deep pool of artistic talent in the North.

The list will be whittled down to a shortlist of four artists over the summer and an exhibition of their work will be exhibited at Leeds Art Gallery from 27 November 2009 to 21 February 2010. The winner will be announced on 21 January 2010.

The long-listed artists are:
North East
. Jo Coupe (Rowlands Gill, Co. Durham)
. Graham Dolphin (Newcastle)
. Jennifer Douglas (Gateshead)
. Jorn Ebner (Newcastle)
. Ant Macari (Newcastle)
. Matt Stokes (Blaydon-on-Tyne)
North West
. Pavel B#chler (Manchester)
. Halima Cassell (Blackburn)
. J. Chuhan (Chorlton)
. Nick Crowe and Ian Rawlinson (Old Trafford)
. Rachel Goodyear (Manchester)
. Lubaina Himid (Preston)
. Emma Rushton and Derek Tyman (Fallowfield, Manchester)
. Bryndis Snæbjörnsdóttir and Mark Wilson (Bewcastle, Cumbria)
. Linder Sterling (Heysham)
Yorkshire
. Farhad Ahrarnia (Sheffield)
. Andy Black (Malton)
. Sally Greaves-Lord (Scarborough)
. Simon Le Ruez (Walkley, Sheffield)
. Bob Levene (Netheredge, Sheffield)
. Haroon Mizra (Sheffield)
. Jane Poulton (Filey) and Lin Holland (Claughton)
. Richard William Wheater (Wakefield)

The prize money has, for the third year, been donated by Logistik and Arup.  Logistik originally founded the Northern Art Prize in 2007 in partnership with Leeds City Council. Keen to play a role, Leeds Met will support the prize for the first time.

Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Society at Leeds Met, Professor Christopher Bailey commented, "Leeds Met has been a driving force for the visual arts in the UK for many decades and is proud to be joining the founding supporters of the Northern Art Prize. The inspiring work of famous teachers of art, such as Harry Thubron, who revolutionised art and design education nationally, led to a resurgence of the visual arts in Leeds in the 1960s and 1970s. We believe that The Northern Art Prize and the work we are doing in partnership regionally is part of a new renaissance of culture in the city which will have a wide and lasting influence."

Pippa Hale, Director of the Northern Art Prize said, "We're delighted to have received so many nominations from curators and visual arts professionals working in the North. The quality of the nominees' work is strong and the subject matter varied. It makes the judges' job much harder, but we're confident they'll find a shortlist that chimes with the times and reflects what is going on in this vast and talented pool of northern artists. The Prize is more than just a celebration of talent, it's a sign that contemporary art is at the heart of the culture of our region; these artists challenge the ways in which we see the world. Today, more than ever, a little lateral thinking and creative spark is surely what we need."