Lakefield Artist Murray Henderson Named 2026 Sport Artist of the Year
/By Scott Arnold
Lakefield artist Murray Henderson has received a major international honour for his work capturing the emotion, movement and stories behind sports and the athletes who play them.
Murray Henderson’s work has earned international recognition, with the Lakefield artist receiving the 2026 Sport Artist of the Year award. (Photo courtesy of United States Sports University)
Henderson has been named the 2026 Sport Artist of the Year by the American Sport Art Museum & Archives (ASAMA) at the United States Sports University in Daphne, Alabama.
The award recognizes artists whose work captures the spirit and life of sport and has been presented for more than four decades. Previous recipients include Ernie Barnes, Kadir Nelson, Steve Skipper, Cristóbal Gabarrón and Steven Lester.
For Henderson, the recognition is a significant milestone in a career that has spanned more than 30 years.
“For much of my career, sport has been one of the great inspirations behind my work,” Henderson said. “I have always tried to go beyond simply portraying an athlete or a moment in competition. My goal has been to capture the emotion, movement, history, intensity and humanity behind sport—and to do it in a style that is uniquely my own.”
One of Murray Henderson’s works reflects the artist’s distinctive “Exact Abstract” style, which combines realism, colour, texture and expressive paintwork. (Photo courtesy of United States Sports University)
Based in Lakefield, Henderson is known for his “Exact Abstract” style, which combines detailed portraiture with layered colour, texture and expressive paintwork.
His large-scale works have focused on sport, culture, identity and human achievement, using painting, drawing, ink, airbrush and mixed media. Some pieces also incorporate authentic game-used or personally worn sports memorabilia, connecting the artwork directly to the athletes and moments being portrayed.
That approach is one of the things that stood out to ASAMA.
“Murray Henderson’s work immediately captured our attention through its sense of controlled chaos, powerful movement and bold use of color,” said Angela Phillips, an ASAMA Art Board member. “His philosophy of building each piece ‘with precision and destroying it with emotion’ is vividly reflected in his work.”
Henderson has also taken his art beyond the studio through live painting and collaborations, including the DREAM Collection, where athletes and celebrities participate in creating paintings of iconic moments using their own equipment.
His collaborations have included former NBA player Ryan Anderson and NFL players Shaquem and Shaquill Griffin, while his work has been featured at events including Miami Art Week, Fanatics Fest NYC and the National Sports Collectors Convention.
In a post announcing the award, Henderson said he has spent years trying to find a way to tell the stories of athletes, moments, memories and sports culture through his art.
“Every piece has a story. Every mark has a purpose,” he wrote.
Lakefield artist Murray Henderson has been named the 2026 Sport Artist of the Year by the American Sport Art Museum & Archives. (Photo courtesy of United States Sports University)
