The Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award returns for 2025. The prestigious painting competition celebrates the very best in contemporary portraiture and will include captivating works from around the world, by both self-taught and more established painters.

Since its inception, the long-standing competition has attracted over 40,000 entries from more than 100 countries and has been seen by over 6 million people. Artists demonstrate an impressive range and complexity of skill, with artworks exploring both classical and innovative techniques that show the enduring relevance of portraiture today.

Enter now for the chance to have your work on display in the National Portrait Gallery and win the top prize of £35,000. The second prize winner receives £12,000 and a third prize of £10,000 is also awarded. The Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award will also include a Young Artist Award, which will see a prize of £9,000 awarded to a selected entrant, aged between 18 and 30, profiling their talent and supporting career development.

The Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award is one of the most important platforms for portrait painters. The highly successful competition aims to encourage artists over the age of eighteen to focus upon, and develop, the theme of portraiture in their work.

The competition is open to all artists from around the world. Artists must be aged 18 years or over as of 1 January 2024.

Submission is limited to one entry per artist. The work must have been completed after 1 January 2024.

All artists chosen to exhibit in 2024 and 2025’s Portrait Award exhibitions will be considered for the inaugural Herbert Smith Freehills Artist Commission, which has a value of £14,000.

Entry Fee

Entry into the competition costs £40.

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