National Portrait Galleryaward
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2027
- Who Can Apply: Artists from anywhere in the world aged 18 or over as of 1 January 2026. One entry per artist. Previous first prize-winners and employees of the Gallery or the sponsor cannot enter.
- The Focus: The National Portrait Gallery's open competition and exhibition for contemporary portrait painting: one painting in oil, tempera or acrylic, made after 1 January 2025 from a sitting or study from life.
- The Funding: First Prize £35,000, Second Prize £12,000, Third Prize £10,000 and a £9,000 Young Artist Award (aged 30 or under), plus consideration for a £14,000 commission. Entry costs £40, free or half price for some artists.
- Key Requirements: Register on the Gallery's competition platform, upload one JPG/JPEG image of the entire work (3 MB or smaller) and pay the £40 entry fee by 22:00 UK time on Tuesday 1 December 2026.
DeadlineTuesday, December 1, 2026
AwardFirst Prize £35,000; Second Prize £12,000; Third Prize £10,000; Young Artist Award £9,000 (exhibitors aged 30 or under as of 1 January 2026). Exhibitors are also considered for the biennial Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Artist Commission, worth £14,000.
Application fee£40
Program dates24 June - 10 October 2027
Locationglobal
ParticipationRemote
Career stagesAll Stages
DisciplinesPortrait painting, Painting
Age range18–
Application notesEnter through the National Portrait Gallery competition platform (competitions.npg.org.uk): register a secure artist account, upload one image of the entire work (including all parts of a diptych or triptych) and pay the £40 entry fee. Everything must be completed by 22:00 on Tuesday 1 December 2026 (UK time). The image must be a JPG/JPEG of 3 MB or smaller; the first round is judged from this image, so it needs to be high quality. One entry per artist. The work must have been completed after 1 January 2025, must not have been submitted to the competition before, and should not be signed on the front because judging is anonymous. It must be predominantly painted in oil, tempera or acrylic on a stretcher or board, preferably framed and unglazed (no glass or Perspex); watercolours, works on paper and pastels are not considered. It should be based on a sitting or study from life and the human figure must predominate; self-portraits and group portraits are allowed. Size: at least 25 cm x 20 cm unframed and no more than 244 cm x 244 cm framed; multi-part works of up to three parts count as one work within those limits and need installation instructions. Artists claiming a discounted fee must be able to show proof of status valid as of 1 December 2026. Timeline: entrants hear by 18 December 2026 whether they are through to the second round; those selected deliver the painting to a London judging venue (address given on selection; not the Gallery itself) on a weekday between 27 January and 3 February 2027, 09:00 to 17:00, with nothing accepted after 17:00 on 3 February; results of the second round follow by 12 February 2027; unselected works must be collected on 15 to 19 February 2027 (09:00 to 17:00) or may be disposed of, and works sent with correct return postage are returned by 9 April 2027. International entrants arrange and pay for delivery, customs charges and duties, and for collection or return. Artists shortlisted for prizes must attend the Awards Ceremony on the evening of Tuesday 22 June 2027; exhibited works cannot be withdrawn before the end of the exhibition tour. The artist keeps copyright but agrees that the Gallery may reproduce exhibited works free of charge to promote the exhibition and tour; loss or damage in transit and during the process is at the artist's risk. Note: the exhibition closing date differs between two official sources: the Gallery's exhibition page says 24 June to 10 October 2027, the rules say 24 June to 3 October 2027.
Post-selection obligations: If selected for the second round, deliver the painting to the London judging venue between 27 January and 3 February 2027.
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