Tune in now and watch Series 11
of Portrait Artist of the Year

Series 11 of Portrait Artist of the Year is currently airing on Sky Arts on Wednesdays at 8pm.
Enjoy watching paint dry!

Portrait Artist of the Year Series 12

For the chance of winning a £10,000 commission for a major
British institution and £500 of art materials from Cass Art,
get your self-portrait or landscape submissions ready.

Deadline to apply is NOON on Friday 7th February 2025

This is a televised competition. Artists enter with a self-portrait created within the last 5 years. They are selected on merit by our panel of expert judges. At the heats they are given four hours to paint a surprise celebrity sitter. The heat winners get to compete at the Semi-Final. Three of the Semi-Finalists go through to the Final but only one is selected as the overall winner.

Filming of Portrait Artist of the Year is planned to take place at Battersea Arts Centre in April 2025.

The judges view the submissions on a screen and so we’re keen for all photos to have the maximum impact so as to do the artwork justice. Follow these simple steps to take the best photograph of your portrait artwork. Follow these simple steps to take the best photograph of your landscape artwork.

If you’d like to receive information on filming dates and updates about the series please join our mailing list and follow our Instagram, X and Facebook pages.

Meet some of our winners…

What are the judges looking for?

Kate

I am always excited to see a great painting first and a portrait second. It’s really essential to feel there is a narrative beneath the surface: Who is this person? How does the artist convey a sense of their character and personality? In the case of self-portraits, it can be electrifying when the artist is really honest and brave with their own face.

Tai

Portraits are about the specifics of a person at the same time as being about the shared human experience and I like that to come across in the paintings being made during the competition. Portraiture has a long tradition, of course, but I always hope to see artists who have found a way to reinvigorate it or reinvent it with their unique artistic language.

Kathleen

I want to be surprised, delighted, intrigued and drawn into what is essentially a great work of art but also a marvellous character study of the individual it portrays. I want to be drawn into the sitter’s world. I want to get an insight into what their life is like and what goes on in their head. And yes, I do like those quicker elements, that sense of narrative that takes you to another place. And that is also what I am looking for, something a little bit different and fresh. Something a little bit new. Obviously, it has got to be a great work of art but I also want something to surprise me.

For the chance of winning a £10,000 commission for a major British institution and £500 of art materials from Cass Art, get your self-portrait or landscape submissions ready.