Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2027

The Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2027 is the National Portrait Gallery's international competition for painted portraits. Now in its 45th year, the award has received more than 50,000 submissions from over 100 countries since it began, and its exhibitions in London have been seen by more than six million visitors.

The Portrait Award 2027 is open to artists of any nationality aged 18 or over. The winner receives £35,000, there are further prizes for second and third place, and a Young Artist Award for painters aged 18 to 30. The selected paintings are shown at the National Portrait Gallery in London from 24 June to 10 October 2027.

For figurative painters, few opportunities carry as much weight. The exhibition is one of the Gallery's most visited every year, and inclusion places an artist's work in front of collectors, critics and commissioners from around the world. The award is supported by the international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, which also funds a biennial commission for a portrait for the Gallery's collection.

Who Can Enter the Portrait Award 2027?

The competition is open to artists from anywhere in the world who are 18 or over. Each artist can submit one painting. Employees and agents of the Gallery cannot enter, and previous first-prize winners are not eligible.

It is particularly relevant to:

• Figurative and portrait painters
• Painters who work from life
• Art school graduates building a painting career
• Self-taught painters with a strong portrait practice
• Painters aged 18 to 30, who can also compete for the Young Artist Award

What Can You Enter?

One painted portrait completed after 1 January 2025. The painting should be:

• Predominantly in oil, tempera or acrylic
• On a stretcher or board, preferably framed and unglazed
• Based on a sitting or study from life
• A work in which the human figure is the main subject

Self-portraits and group portraits are accepted.

Not eligible: watercolours, pastels and other works on paper, and paintings submitted to the award in previous years.

Entry Fees

The entry fee is £40. The Gallery offers concessions:

• Free: for artists receiving Universal Credit or Pension Credit
• 50% discount: for artists receiving disability benefits, students, and artists aged 18 to 25

What Do Selected Entrants Receive?

• First prize: £35,000
• Second prize: £12,000
• Third prize: £10,000
• Young Artist Award: £9,000 for an artist aged 18 to 30
• Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Artist Commission: a £14,000 commission for a portrait for the Gallery's collection, awarded every two years and announced in 2027
• Selected artists: inclusion in the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from June to October 2027

Submission Requirements

Entries are made online through the National Portrait Gallery's competition website. The first stage is judged from a digital image of the painting.

Prepare:

• A high-quality digital photograph of the finished painting
• The title, medium, dimensions and date of completion
• Details of the sitter and of the sitting or study from life
• Proof of eligibility if you are applying for a concession

Instructions for any later stages, including delivery of the original painting if it is selected, are set out in the full rules published by the Gallery.

Important Rules

• One entry per artist.
• The painting must be completed after 1 January 2025.
• The portrait must be based on a sitting or study from life.
• Oil, tempera and acrylic only; works on paper are not accepted.
• Works submitted in earlier years cannot be entered again.
• Read the full rules on the Gallery's website before you submit.

When Will Entrants Be Notified?

Entries are first reviewed digitally, and the paintings chosen for the exhibition are drawn from them. The Gallery contacts artists directly about the outcome of each stage, and the prizewinners are announced in connection with the exhibition, which opens on 24 June 2027.

Things to Consider

• Photograph the painting well. The first stage is judged from an image. Shoot it square-on, in even light, without glare, with accurate colour, and crop exactly to the edges.
• Show a relationship with the sitter. The award is rooted in painting from life; portraits that reveal a person, not only a likeness, tend to stand out.
• Check the concessions. Students and artists aged 18–25 pay half; artists on some benefits enter free.
• Plan ahead for London. If your painting is selected for the exhibition, think early about framing and transport.
• Aged 18 to 30? You can also be considered for the £9,000 Young Artist Award.
• Do not leave it late. The deadline is 10:00 PM on 1 December 2026.

Enter the Competition

Interested in submitting your work?

Enter the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2027

For the complete rules, eligibility details and the entry form, visit the official National Portrait Gallery page.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 2, 2026