International Portrait Painting Competition with a GBP 35,000 First Prize
Applicant criteria
- No specific age required
- Both
Opportunity criteria
Opportunity description
The National Portrait Gallery in London is offering the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2027, one of the leading international competitions and awards in contemporary portrait art. The competition aims to discover and support talented artists and showcase outstanding works in portraiture using both traditional and contemporary approaches.
The competition attracts artists from around the world. A selection of outstanding works will be chosen for display in the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2027 exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London from June 24 to October 10, 2027, giving artists an important opportunity to present their work to an international audience.
Benefits
First Prize: GBP 35,000, while the second-place winner receives GBP 12,000 and the third-place winner receives GBP 10,000.
Young Artist Award: A prize of GBP 9,000 for an artist aged between 18 and 30.
Selected works will be exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London as part of the competition exhibition from June 24 to October 10, 2027, giving artists significant international exposure.
All artists selected for the 2026 and 2027 exhibitions will also be considered for the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Artist Commission, worth GBP 14,000.
Eligibility criteria
Open to artists from countries around the world.
Applicants must be 18 years old or above.
The competition focuses on works in contemporary portrait painting.
Applicants must submit a work that demonstrates their artistic skills and personal approach to portraiture.
Entries may use techniques ranging from traditional methods to contemporary artistic practices.