2025 National Photographic Portrait Prize Finalists Announced!

Now in its 18th year, the National Photographic Portrait Prize supports and celebrates photographic portraiture in Australia.

Each year the prize attracts thousands of entrants from emerging and established artistic talent across the country. Exhibited artworks provide a powerful visual record of the year, reflecting a particular time in Australian culture, both socially and artistically.

This year, 48 finalists have been selected by the panel of 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.

Finalists for the 2025 National Photographic Portrait Prize are:

Basil Abubaker, Hoda Afshar, Jeff Andersen Jnr., Luke Austin, T W Baker, Neil Bennett, Paul Blackmore, Tanja Bruckner, Torrey Bruinstroop, Michael Cook, Ryan Dandelion, Gerwyn Davies, ABBIE DAVIS, Shoufay Derz, Yask Desai, George Fetting, Enzo Frisini, Dion Georgopoulos, Natalie Grono, Jennie Groom, Bri Hammond, Jodie Harris, Prue Hazelgrove, The Huxleys, Em Jensen, Ayman Kaake, Luke David Kellett, Nur Aishah Kenton & Anna Jourdant, Sean Kinchela, Tiarni Majid-Loban, Mary-Lou Orliyarli Divilli, Rebecca Polonski, David Prichard, Sherry Quiambao, Marcus Rowsell, Derek Sargent, Matt Sav, Renae Saxby, Raoul Slater, Stuart Spence, Dida Sundet, Kristian Taylor-Wood, Tobias Titz, Hilary Wardhaugh, Georgia Wilde, Emmaline Zanelli, Tom Zust and Laura Zviedre.

The winner will receive a prize of $30,000 cash courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery and $20,000 worth of equipment courtesy of Imaging Partner Canon Australia.

The Art Handlers’ Award winner will receive $3000 courtesy of IAS Logistics and the People’s Choice Award winner will receive $10,000 courtesy of the Calvert-Jones Foundation. All finalists receive artist and copyright fees as well as all costs covered for freight and travel.