According to Girish Shahane, art critic, who heads the Advisory Committee for the award instituted for the first time in the country, 169 entries were received from across the country and Indians abroad. While Ajikuttira Kiran Subbaiah, Balasubramaniam Alwar, Hanumaiah Srinivasa Prasad, and Thomas Anup Mathew are the short-listed artists from the City, Nandabattlu Shivashankar Harsha from Mysore also made it to the top 20.

The award recognises cutting-edge work, demonstrating vision, innovation and a mature understanding of material and form. Besides, it brings to public notice trends in contemporary art.