Melbourne artist Sean Layh has been named the winner of the Packing Room Prize 2026 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales for his portrait of Australian actor Jacob Collins as Hamlet. Layh’s portrait marks his first time as an Archibald Prize finalist, selected from 59 finalists for Australia’s most prestigious art award.
Now in its 35th year, the Packing Room Prize, valued at $3000, is awarded to the best entry in the Archibald Prize as judged by the Art Gallery staff who receive, handle and unpack artwork entries and hang the finalists for exhibition.
William Newell and Alexis Wildman, senior installation officers and members of the Art Gallery’s Packing Room team, today announced Layh as the winner of the Packing Room Prize at an event unveiling the finalists for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2026.
“Sean’s entry was an instant standout for the Packing Room crew. It’s a dark, complex and beautiful double portrait – a tormented Hamlet portrayed by actor Jacob Collins, captured by Sean with his obvious compassion and technical skill. We couldn’t stop looking at the painting; the work feels alive, as if the exchange between artist, character and actor continues to unfold on the canvas,” said Newell.
“There’s a quiet intensity to the work and, despite the surrounding darkness, light persists. It’s the balance of tension and subtle illumination that ultimately set this painting apart for us,” added Wildman.
Born in Melbourne, Sean Layh is a self-taught figurative painter whose work is grounded in narrative and deeply informed by classical literature and theatre. While drawn to art from an early age, Layh initially pursued a PhD in biological science at Monash University, before leaving academia during the COVID-19 pandemic to commit to painting full-time.
His practice is shaped by close study of European art of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries – from romanticism to impressionism – with much of his technical education forged through sustained engagement with the National Gallery of Victoria’s permanent collection.
Layh was inspired to paint Collins after seeing him perform the title role in Iain Sinclair’s 2024 production of Hamlet at Melbourne’s fortyfivedownstairs theatre. His portrait, The tragicall historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke – a title jointly agreed upon by artist and sitter – retains the Elizabethan spelling of the play’s earliest printed editions. The composition draws on Albert Maignan’s The last moments of Chlodobert, 1880. Layh has exhibited nationally and internationally and is the recipient of several international art prizes.
On receiving the news of his win, Layh said he was delighted to be selected as a finalist for the Archibald Prize and even more so to be the recipient of the Packing Room Prize. “There is something special about being selected from a group of your peers, as many of the Packing Room crew are artists themselves,” said Layh.
“It is particularly special as one painting that left a deep impression on me as a teenager was Paul Newton’s 2001 Archibald entry, Roy and HG, which won the Packing Room Prize that year. It’s surreal to receive the same honour 25 years later.”
“Iain Sinclair’s production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet was striking, and Jacob really brought it home with his beautiful performance. I enjoy the layering of a subject painting like this – a portrait within a portrait. It’s a portrait of Jacob, but not as himself. It captures him as an actor portraying one of the most extraordinary fictional figures in Western literature.”
“It is immensely satisfying for me to have this work recognised. While Jacob and I are modern artists, we are both continuing artistic traditions that have a strong history in our culture – theatre and painting respectively,” said Layh.
Jacob Collins (also known as Jacob Collins-Levy) is an actor and musician from Melbourne, known for his work across film, television and theatre. He began his screen career in 2015, with early appearances in Holding the man and the ABC series Glitch.
Collins gained international recognition for portraying the lead role as Henry VII in the historical drama The White Princess (2017), followed by prominent roles in Netflix’s Young Wallander (2020) and The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022).
His other film credits include Joe Cinque’s consolation (2016), Justin Kurzel’s True history of the Kelly Gang (2019) and Doctor Who (2020). Alongside his screen career, Collins maintains an active stage practice in Australia, including recent performances in Burn this (2021), Nosferatu (2023) and Hamlet (2024).
This year, the Art Gallery received 2524 entries for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, marking the second-highest combined number of entries in the prizes’ history, exceeded only by the pandemic-delayed record year of 2020. The Archibald Prize 2026 received 1034 entries; the Wynne Prize 2026 received 773 entries; and the Sulman Prize 2026 received 717 entries.
In total, 137 works have been selected as finalists across the 2026 prizes: 59 finalists in the Archibald Prize and 52 finalists in the Wynne Prize, both selected by the Art Gallery’s trustees, and 26 finalists in the Sulman Prize, selected by guest judge artist Del Kathryn Barton.
The popular Young Archie 2026 competition received more than 4350 entries, a record number for the youth competition that continues to delight and engage visitors at the Art Gallery each year. Entries were received from talented young artists aged five to 18 from every state and territory, with 70 finalists selected across four age categories by guest judge, artist Jumaadi. All finalists are displayed in a free exhibition in the John Kaldor Family Hall at the Art Gallery.
The winners of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2026 will be announced on Friday 8 May (12.00pm). All winning and finalist works will then be exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from Saturday 9 May to Sunday 16 August 2026.
Following the exhibition at the Art Gallery, the Archibald Prize 2026 finalist works will tour to six venues across New South Wales and Victoria, offering audiences beyond Sydney the opportunity to experience this nationally celebrated portrait prize.
For more information and to explore the finalists in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2026, visit: www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au for details.
Image: Winner Packing Room Prize 2026, Sean Layh, The tragicall historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke, oil on board, 114.1 x 150.2 cm © the artist, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter