Nasher Prize laureate Michael Rakowitz finally gets his due after pandemic delay The artist’s work often deals with displaced populations and cultures. Michael Rakowitz, winner of the 2020 Nasher Prize, is finally getting to take part in some of the in-person events associated with the honor. He plans to use the $100,000 in prize money to continue his work centering on Iraq.(Nasher Sculpture Center) When artist Michael Rakowitz won the Nasher Prize in late 2019, the world was a vastly different place. Typically, the announcement of the prestigious prize — which has been handed out annually since 2016 and includes a $100,000 check and an award designed by Nasher architect Renzo Piano — is followed by a series of in-person events. The lectures, panels, openings and the like are designed to introduce the public to an artist who is reshaping contemporary sculpture and engaging with ideologies and practices that expand beyond the gallery.