Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026

Entries are now open for the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award. The annual painting competition returns to the National Portrait Gallery for 2026, celebrating the best in contemporary portraiture. One of the most important platforms for portrait painters today, the competition showcases the variety of approaches to portraiture and encourages artists to focus upon, and develop, the theme of portraiture in their work.

Who can apply

• The competition is open to all artists, age 18 or over, from around the world.

What you get

• Selected artists will be exhibited in the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026 exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, from 25 June - 7 October 2026.
• Selected artists will be considered for the following prizes:
• All artists chosen to exhibit in 2026 and 2027's Portrait Award exhibitions will be considered for the bi-annual Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Artist Commission (value £14,000), to be announced in 2027.
• All selected artists aged between 18 and 30 will automatically be considered for the Young Artist Award (value £9,000).

Entry fee

£40 (Artists in receipt of Universal Credit or Pension Credit can enter this year's competition for free, and a 50% discount is in place for artists who receive Disability Benefits, who are students, or who are between the ages of 18 and 25.)

Deadline 06 January 2026