The BP Portrait Award, now in its thirty-nineth year at the National Portrait Gallery and twenty-nineth year of sponsorship by BP, is the most prestigious portrait painting competition in the world. With a first prize of 35,000 GBP (approx. 47,000 USD), and a total prize fund of 74,000 GBP (approx. 99,500 USD), the Award is aimed at encouraging artists to focus upon and develop portraiture in their work.
The work entered must be predominantly painted in oil, tempera or acrylic on canvas or board. No watercolours, pastels or works on paper will be considered.
To enter the BP Portrait Award 2018, artists should upload a digital image of their work via the website for the first round of judging. All images will be viewed by a panel of judges and the entrants who are successful in this round will be invited to deliver their work to a venue in London for the second round of judging and final exhibition selection.
You are required to upload one photograph of your entire portrait. You also have the option to submit an extra photograph of a detail of the work. This may be a good opportunity to show the level of detail, the texture of the paint or a particular area of interest in the composition.
If your work is not entirely complete at the time of registration you can still enter the competition. The first round of judging will be based on the image that you upload.
Entry is limited to one entry per artist. The work must be no smaller than 25 x 20cm (10 x 8â€) unframed and no larger than 244 x 244cm (96 x 96â€) framed. Multi-part works (up to three parts) will be accepted and regarded as one work. However, the combined parts of the part must not exceed the maximum size allowed. The work must have been completed after 1 January 2017.
Entry fee is 40 GBP (approx. 49 USD).
Eligibility
Open to everyone worldwide aged 18 and over.
Prize
• First Prize: a cash award of 35,000 GBP (approx. 47,000 USD), plus, at the judges' discretion, a commission worth 7,000 GBP, to be agreed between the National Portrait Gallery and the artist.
• Second Prize: 12,000 GBP (approx. 16,100 USD)
• Third Prize: 10,000 GBP (approx. 13,400 USD)
• BP Young Artist Award: 9,000 GBP (approx. 12,000 USD)
• BP Travel Award 2017: 8,000 GBP (approx. 10,700 USD)
The BP Portrait Award 2018 exhibition will run at the National Portrait Gallery, London, from 14 June to 23 September 2018.
