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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Portrait Artist of the Year

Celebrate the art of portraiture with the ABC’s brand-new series Portrait Artist of the Year. Across eight episodes, amateur, emerging and professional artists go head-to-head, competing for the ultimate prize: a life-changing commission to hang in the National Portrait Gallery.

In each episode, nine artists have just four hours to create a portrait of a well-known celebrity. Their work is then judged by three Australian art experts: Director of the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, Bree Pickering; award winning, multi-disciplinary artist, Abdul Abdullah; and Associate Professor of Art History at the Australian National University (ANU), Robert Wellington.

Watch the series from 2 November on ABC iview and ABC TV, and see the winner’s final commission at the National Portrait Gallery from 22 December 2025.

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Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency