Your Chance to Shine: Enter the National Portrait Gallery’s 2026 Portrait Award

Elena Leo is the Arts & Lifestyle Editor of Ikon London Magazine.

The National Portrait Gallery has opened entries for the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026, welcoming painters aged 18 and over. Artists are invited to submit works completed after 1 January 2024, giving them a platform to showcase contemporary portraiture from around the world.

Shortlisted works will be displayed at the Gallery from 25 June to 7 October 2026, forming part of the annual Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award exhibition. The competition has a long history of attracting exceptional talent, with over 40,000 entries from more than 100 countries since its inception, and exhibitions seen by over six million visitors.

The prizes are among the largest in the global art world: £35,000 for the winner, £12,000 for second place, and £10,000 for third. A Young Artist Award of £9,000 is also available for entrants aged 18–30, supporting the development of emerging talent.

Entries are accepted via the Gallery’s digital platform from Wednesday 22 October 2025 until Tuesday 6 January 2026 at 10pm. Full rules and guidance for digital submissions are available on the National Portrait Gallery website.

Over the years, the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award has become a benchmark for contemporary portraiture, attracting tens of thousands of entries from artists across the globe. Past winners and shortlisted works, like Martyn Harris’s Memories, 2024, Camila Carlow’s Mikael, 2024, and Yvadney Davis’s Inset Day, 2025, illustrate the range of styles and voices the award celebrates. Being part of the exhibition isn’t just about prestige; it offers artists a chance to have their work seen by millions, providing a platform that can define careers and open doors in the art world.

For more information and entry guidance, visit npg.org.uk/hsfkportraitaward.

Feature image: Portraits exhibited in the 2025 edition of the Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award L-R: Memories, 2024 by Martyn Harris © Martyn Harris; Mikael, 2024 by Camila Carlow © Camila Carlow; Inset Day, 2025 by Yvadney Davis © Yvadney Davis.