Eyes wide open: Calling all entries for Brisbane Portrait Prize
There’s always controversy when Brisbane Portrait Prize winners are announced and, with entries now open, all eyes are now on who will make the cut this year.
It’s that time of year when artists are sitting in their studios trying to figure out who they will paint or photograph for this year’s Brisbane Portrait Prize.
Meanwhile, potential sitters are waiting for the call to pose while past sitters are reflecting smugly on how they were the chosen ones.
And so it goes each year, as afterwards there is elation and disappointment and various recriminations.
It’s always thus with portrait prizes. The Archibald is always contentious and BPP Prize is very much our version of the Archibald Prize for Portraiture (some say ours is better!).
The BPP is returning to the city’s cultural calendar with an artist launch at Rivershed, Howard Smith Wharves, and the announcement of this year’s judging panel.
Now in its eighth year of championing local portraiture, the prize has received 4401 entries since its inception and awarded almost $650,000 in prize money and grants to Brisbane artists.
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BPP chair Anna Reynolds says that following an exceptionally strong 2025, the focus for 2026 is to build on that momentum and continue strengthening Brisbane’s creative economy.
“The Brisbane Portrait Prize exists to celebrate Brisbane stories – the people who shape this city and the artists who interpret them,” Reynolds says.
“Over eight years, the prize has grown into a serious platform for artists at all stages of their careers. It delivers meaningful financial support, professional exposure and the opportunity to be part of a major cultural moment for Brisbane.
“The Brisbane Portrait Prize is no longer a new initiative – it is part of the cultural fabric of this city. The calibre of work we’ve seen in recent years reflects the depth and confidence of Brisbane’s arts sector, and we’re excited to see that momentum continue in 2026.”
The 2026 judges panel consists of a chief judge who selects the overall winner and category prize recipients; two finalists judges, who determine the works to be showcased in the Finalists’ Exhibition; and two judges responsible for selecting the finalists in the Next Gen category for artists aged 18 and under.
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The 2026 chief judge is Jonathan McBurnie, director of Rockhampton Museum of Art. An artist, writer and curator, McBurnie brings both creative and institutional perspectives to the role and is familiar with the prize, having previously served as a finalists judge in 2022.
“I’ve admired the ambition and quality of the Brisbane Portrait Prize for years, and it’s a real privilege to return as chief judge,” he says. “As an artist myself, I’m excited to see work that takes risks – portraits that are bold, thoughtful and confident in their vision. The best portraits go beyond likeness. They reveal something unexpected about the sitter and about the artist.
“Brisbane has an extraordinary depth of talent, and I’m looking forward to seeing the range, scale and personality that artists bring to this year’s prize.”
He should keep in mind that a former judge said she would have a car with the engine running ready to pick her up after announcing the winner. She was being a little dramatic, but the point was well made that there will be different points of view about what won and what should have won.
This year marks a milestone for the prize’s Salon Des Refusés exhibition, which will move to a new home at Brisbane Portrait Gallery on Fish Lane, following its opening mid-year.
The salon will run in parallel with the Finalists’ Exhibition at the State Library of Queensland.
“We are thrilled that the salon will be presented at the brand-new Brisbane Portrait Gallery,” Reynolds says. “With QAGOMA and the State Library just a short walk from each other, audiences will be able to experience both exhibitions while spending time in one of Brisbane’s most important cultural precincts.
“It’s an opportunity not only to see exceptional portraiture, but to engage more deeply with the cultural life of South Brisbane and the institutions that anchor it.”
So, artists and sitters – get to it! Entries for the 2026 Brisbane Portrait Prize are now open and close on July 1. The prize is open to artists with a connection to Brisbane, and sitters must also have a connection to Brisbane.
Finalists will be announced on September 5, opening night of the Finalists’ Exhibition on September 18 is also the night that winners are announced, and the exhibition is on at the State Library of Queensland until November 8.
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