Female artists make the strongest showing in a decade in the Turner Prize shortlist announced today, with three women born in three different countries in the running for the £25,000 prize.

Bangladesh-born Runa Islam, 37, Goshka Macuga, 40, from Poland, and Cathy Wilkes, also 40, from Belfast, have been selected alongside Mark Leckey, 43, the token male.

The last time that happened was in 1998 when Tacita Dean, Cathy de Monchaux and Sam Taylor-Wood vied for the award although all were beaten by Chris Ofili with his paintings adorned with elephant dung.

Stephen Deuchar, director of Tate Britain and this year's chair of judges for the first time, said the significance of the number of women could be over-played. In 1997, the list was entirely made up of women. "Obviously, it's great but every year the jury picks four individuals then sees what the group looks like," he said.

It was unfair to generalise about their similarities, he said. But British art - and its audience - had grown increasingly sophisticated since the brazenness of the Young British Artists generation a decade ago. "These are works which require the viewer's close attention. They're not easy, they don't have easy punchlines, easy hits. I think that's incredibly positive," he said.

The shortlist again includes no painters, nearly all the artists work in a multiplicity of media with film a major influence. Their work involves everything from characters in the comic Viz (Leckey) to shop mannequins (Wilkes). All bar Wilkes live and work in London.

The four were chosen by a panel which included architect David Adjaye and Jennifer Higgie, the editor of Frieze magazine. An exhibition of the shortlisted artists will be at Tate Britain from 7 October. The winner will be announced live on Channel 4 on 1 December and the runners-up will receive £5,000 each.

The prize is awarded to a British artist or an artist living in Britain under 50 for outstanding work in the last 12 months.

Last year's winner was Mark Wallinger for his replication of the Parliament Square anti-war protest.

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