Entries will close strictly at 9:00am AEDT on 16 February 2026. The Gallery will not consider any deadline extensions.

No. A photograph taken before 1 February 2025 is ineligible for entry.

The exhibition will be held at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra from 22 August – 11 October 2026.

The National Portrait Gallery’s (NPG) definition of ‘portrait’ is considered broadly to include different cultural and conceptual artistic practices and styles used to represent the human form and/or an individual’s experience of the world we live in. You can see the entries of previous finalists here.

No. While animals can feature in your entry, the portrait must represent a human.

Yes, self portraits as a form of portraiture are encouraged.

No. The sitter/subject does not have to be a significant or well-known Australian figure.

This means your photograph must be taken from a live sitting (interaction) with your sitter. A sitting can also be conducted using video communication technology.

Yes. The details of each artist, collaborator or artist collective will need to be provided when submitting the entry through the online portal. If the entry is a collaboration between two or more artists, the noted artist fee, touring fee and copyright and image licensing fee payment will be shared between all parties.

Entrants must be 18 years or older at the time of submitting an online entry.

No. Each artist or artist collective may only submit one photographic artwork to the NPPP.

Yes, your photograph can consist of multiple parts. If your work does consist of multiple parts, the supplied digital file of the work of art must show all parts of the photograph. If selected as a finalist and any individual framed part of your photograph exceeds 140cm in height x 140cm in width, it may not be able to be part of the NPPP National Tour.

If your work has previously been selected as a finalist and has been displayed in an Australian or international art prize or award your work is ineligible for entry into the NPPP. This condition does not apply to works that are displayed in solo or group exhibitions that are not a prize or an award. For example, you can still apply for the NPPP if you have recently exhibited your work in a solo or group exhibition in Australia or internationally.

No. Your entry to the NPPP cannot be a finalist artwork in any online, Australian or international prize, prior to the NPPP.

Yes. Editing software is allowed to alter a photograph.

Please note that if selected as a finalist, the NPG may exclude a photograph from the NPPP, the exhibition or National Tour if it appears to have been significantly altered when compared to the digital file submitted at the time of entry.

If your process has involved any Generative AI Tools, you must specify this in your entry, outlining what tools were used and how. You must also make sure that you have all the relevant Intellectual Property permissions as outlined in the Terms and Conditions.

All finalists must provide a Subject Consent Form at the time of entry. All entrants should complete a Subject Consent Form for each sitter/subject. If it was not reasonably practical for you to obtain the written consent of your subject/sitter, you will need to explain why on the entry form. If your sitter/subject is under 18 years of age, your entry must be accompanied by a Subject Consent Form signed by their parent/guardian to be eligible. Please refer to the Terms and Conditions for the consent requirements.

In this instance, the sitter’s statement must be signed by the next of kin of the sitter and their name and their position as next of kin needs to be written on the statement.

The date taken is the date of the original digital or manual capture of the photographic image. As such the two noted examples would be ineligible. For the purposes of the NPPP, we understand a photograph to be ‘taken’ on the date of the actual shoot or sitting, when the raw photo data was shot, not the date when the image is processed or digitally manipulated.

Yes, you can submit a photograph that is part of an ongoing series, however the photograph that you choose to submit must be taken after 1 February 2025.

No.

For the purposes of entering the NPPP, a ‘resident of Australia’ is an individual on any visa who will be residing in Australia until the end of 2028.

An artist CV (curriculum vitae) is similar to a professional CV that you would submit for an employment position. However, instead of listing employment history it should outline your professional visual arts practice and contain information related to your artistic career. Please include career highlights such as any solo or group exhibitions your work has been exhibited in, any experience, courses, residencies, awards, grants, articles, collections that your work is in and/or other achievements that relate to your arts practice.

If you are having difficulty uploading your images or any part of your entry, try again using a different web browser. If this still doesn’t work, please contact [email protected]

The online entry portal allows you to manage, edit and save your entry up to the closing date and time for submissions at 9:00am AEDT on 16 February 2026.

No, there is no entry fee for the NPPP.

Finalists and unsuccessful entrants will be notified by close of business 13 March 2026.

Please contact [email protected] and provide the details of your work and any questions you may have. Please be aware content captured in the background of paintings (i.e. other works of art) may require copyright clearance.

Content captured in the background of photographs (other works of art) may require copyright clearance. If your photograph includes any works of art which are not yours, you will need to seek in writing permission from the copyright owner to represent their work in your photograph. You will also need to ensure they have granted permission for the NPG to reproduce your photograph, and subsequently their work, for all purposes outlined in the Intellectual Property and Copyright section of the Terms and Conditions if you become a finalist. If you are a finalist, you must provide those permissions to the NPG. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected] and the team will consult with our copyright team.

• A total artist fee of $1200 (ex GST) to exhibit the photograph.
• An additional fee of $700 (ex GST) if the photograph is included in the NPPP National Tour.
• A total copyright and image licensing fee of $1000 (ex GST).
• Return domestic freight for the work of art, organised by the National Portrait Gallery.
• An allowance to be determined by the NPG for return domestic economy travel for the artist to the NPG for the exhibition launch.
• One night’s accommodation for the artist in Canberra for the night of the exhibition launch.
• An access statement form to complete which will help the NPG understand any access requirements. Additional allowances may be payable and accommodation requirements amended once we have assessed any access requirements.

The NPG will be in contact regarding payment and any related requirements once artworks have been received and condition-checked on site.

Yes. If you are selected as a finalist, you will be responsible for the transportation of the work from your overseas location to an Australian address. The NPG will then liaise with you regarding the details of the freight from the Australian address to the NPG and its return to an Australian address. You will be responsible for all importation and exportation documentation, customs and quarantine checks and fees related to the transportation of your work from overseas to Australia. You will also be responsible for all insurances for the travel of your work from overseas to Australia and the condition of the work and condition checks when received in Australia.

The choice of whether your work requires framing is your decision, however please be aware that no framing will be undertaken by the NPG. If your photograph does not require framing or is not two dimensional, please provide detailed dimensions and outline any installation requirements via the application form.

If selected as a finalist, your work including any display elements must be stable enough to withstand continuous display.

If your work exceeds 140cm in height x 140cm in width (including framing) and you are accepted as a finalist, your work may be excluded from the National Tour.

If you are selected as a finalist, the NPG will cover the transport to the NPG from an Australian address and return to you within Australia. If you are selected as a finalist the NPG will contact you to discuss all details of freight. Please do not take any action until you have been contacted.

If selected as a finalist, your photograph will need to be available for collection from 13 April 2026. Finalists will be contacted by the NPG to coordinate the artwork freight. Please do not take any action until you have been contacted.

If selected for the touring exhibition, finalist artworks will be returned at the conclusion of the exhibition’s tour, in early 2028. If a finalist artwork is not selected for tour it will be returned at the conclusion of the exhibition at the NPG, in late 2026. All finalists will be contacted by the NPG to coordinate the return of their work. Please do not take any action until you have been contacted.

The first round of judging will be conducted using the electronic image submitted by each artist or artist collective. If your entry is selected by the judges for the exhibition, you become a finalist. The winner will be selected by a judging panel of at least three members. At all stages, the decision of the judges is final, and no discussion will be entered into.

2026 is the final year of the National Photographic Portrait Prize.

The National Photographic Portrait Prize commenced in 2007 and has been an important part of the growth of Australian photographic portraiture practice since that time. In 2025, there are over 15 prizes for photography and photographic portraiture in place in galleries across Australia. The National Portrait Gallery can now evolve our approach to prizes to recognise and celebrate the depth and breadth of portraiture practice in this country. We look forward to announcing further exciting details in mid-2026.

The Gallery is excited to announce major changes to its prize model in mid-2026. We look forward to continuing to support and champion artists – including photographers – while showcasing the very best portraiture from across the country.

You can check out our website, sign up to our mailing list and follow us on social media @portraitau to stay up to date.

Alongside the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026 finalists’ exhibition will be a curated survey of the prize since its 2007 inception. Should your work be selected for the survey, National Portrait Gallery curators will be in touch.