National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025 exhibition opens 16 August

Winner of the 2025 Art Handlers’ Award is this image by Sydney-based George Fetting for his portrait Antonio Intili – Sartoria (Tailor Shop) #1 2024. © George Fetting.

Now in its 18th year, the much-anticipated National Photographic Portrait Prize supports and celebrates photographic portraiture in Australia and is a powerful visual record of the year that was. Open to established and emerging artistic talent, the prize is an opportunity for artists to have their work shown in a national gallery alongside their peers. This year’s judges – writer and broadcaster Benjamin Law, Senior Curator at the National Portrait Gallery Serena Bentley and Leigh Robb, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia – have selected 48 finalists whose work will go on display when the exhibition opens.

The winner of the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025 will take home $30,000 cash courtesy of the Gallery and $20,000 worth of equipment courtesy of Imaging Partner Canon Australia. The winner of the First Time Finalist Award which replaces the Highly Commended Prize, will receive $3000 in cash courtesy of EIZO. Both winners will be announced at the official opening at 7.00 p.m. on Friday 15 August. The final prize, the People’s Choice Award, decided by members of the public, will be announced in October, with the winner receiving $10,000 cash courtesy of the Calvert-Jones Foundation. All finalists receive an artists, copyright and licencing fees as well as freight costs and travel allowances.

All finalist works can be viewed, and tickets to the exhibition can be purchased on the Gallery’s website here.