Gavin Turk was awarded one of the art world's most prestigious prizes on June 24th . The sculptor and photographer won the Charles Wollaston Award—a prize worth £25,000 ($49,993)—for his work Dumb Candle, after it was singled out by judges as the most distinguished work in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Previous winners include David Hockney, Marc Quinn, and Jake and Dinos Chapman. Dumb Candle, a sawn-off broom handle carved into the shape of an extinguished candle, was praised for both its simplicity and subtlety. It was selected from a shortlist of six including fellow Academicians Gary Hume, Fiona Rae, and Basil Beattie. They were whittled down from 1,161 works created under the themes of light by professional and amateur artists presented at the exhibition, a landmark of the artistic summer season. Bill Woodrow, who chaired the judging panel, said: "Dumb Candle is an imaginative work with subtle undertones that pick up on several significant art historical moments."