“To me, deep and moving works are painted with heart, not the hand.”
Guan Weixing
Here is an online Google calender I’ve created to list and provide notifications regarding art prizes and competitions. Simply click on the button on the calender to view either week|month|agenda listing for competitions. Note: You can also find the same list below, organised in order of categories.
Portrait Art Prizes
ARCHIBALD PRIZE – AUS$100K | Packing Room Prize – value AUS$1500 and ANZ People’s Choice – value $3500 | Must be a resident in Australia/New Zealand
BRISBANE PORTRAIT PRIZE AUS$80K | Restricted QLD | Entries Close 16 August 2020
HURFORD HARDWOOD PORTRAIT ACQUISITIVE PRIZE AUS$10K | Entries Close 10pm Thursday 27 August 2020
THE RICHARD LESTER PRIZE Non-Acquisitive | AUS$50K Cash plus 2 x economy class return tickets to any Singapore Airlines destination (except USA) valued at $3,660 excluding taxes. (National Entries) | Entries Close 17 July 2020
DARLING PORTRAIT PRIZE – AUS$75K (People’s Choice Award – $10K)
DOUG MORAN PORTRAIT PRIZE AUS$150K | Entries Close 2 September 2020
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT PRIZE AUS$30K | Entries Close October 2020
THE PORTIA GEACH MEMORIAL AWARD AUS$30K | Non Acquisitive Award | Open From 05/05/2020 | National Entries Close 10 July 2020
QUEENSLAND FIGURATIVE PRIZE AUS$11.5K | Non Acquisitive Prize | For 2D works in which the human figure is integrated in the composition| Entries Close 14 August 2020
SHIRLEY HANNAN NATIONAL PORTRAIT AWARD AUS$50K non-acquisitive award | For for artists between the ages 16 – 25 | Entries Close Midnight May 29 2020
THE SALON DES REFUSES 2020 – S.H. Ervin Gallery
UK ROYAL SOCIETY OF PORTRAIT PAINTERS AWARD – Mall Galleries UK
UK THE ONDAATJI PRIZE FOR PORTRAITURE GBP £10,000 (Royal Society of Portrait Painters) to an artist aged thirty five or under.
UK CHANGING FACE PRIZE GBP £2,000 commission to paint a portrait of a person who has a facial disfigurement. This prize is for an artist whose portrait most powerfully conveys the energy of their subject, the directness of their gaze and an attitude that exudes openness and confidence.
Landscape Art Prizes
BEST GIPPSLAND PRIZE | AUS$1K | Non Acquisitive | Entrants must live or work within the Gippsland region defined by the borders of Wellington, Latrobe, East Gippsland, South Gippsland, Bass Coast and Baw Baw Shire Councils. Entries Close 20 March 2020
COLVILLE LLOYD REES ART PRIZE AUS$20K | Acquisitive Biannual Prizes | Best painting to demonstrate light in the landscape | Open to any Australian or international artist | Entries Close 4 June
SIR JOHN SULMAN PRIZE AUS$40K | Must be completed 3 April 2018 – 14 August 2020 – subject painting, genre painting or mural project by an Australian artist | Entries Close 4pm 14 August 2020
JOHN LESLIE ART PRIZE AUS$20K Acquisitive Prize | Open to any artist living and working in Australia | Entries Close 20 March 2020.
MILBURN ART PRIZE AUS$10K | Painting, drawing, printmaking, mixed media and photography | Entries Close 11 November (Dates TBC)
PADDINGTON ART PRIZE AUS$35K | National Acquisitive Prize | Entries Close 27 September 2020
SOUTHERN BUOY STUDIOS LANDSCAPE PRIZE AUS$7K | Entries Close 17 July 2020
WYNN PRIZE AUS$50K | ‘the best landscape painting of Australian scenery in oils or watercolours or for the best example of figure sculpture by Australian artists’. | Entries Close 4pm, 14 August 2020
Other Art Prizes
A.M.E BALE TRAVELLING SCHOLARSHIP AND ART PRIZE AUS$50K biennial | Entries Close 2 October 2020 ( awarded biennially to an emerging Australian artist who has demonstrated talent and achievement in traditional styles.)
BAYSIDE ACQUISITIVE ART PRIZE AUS$15K | Awarded to a painting that has not been exhibited in previous awards or prizes – A celebration of contemporary Australian painting. Works on paper are not accepted. Australian citizens or permanent residents eligible | Entries Close 1 March
CALLEEN ART AWARD AUS$20K | Entries Close 22 July 2020
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART FESTIVAL – ART, NOT APART 2020, Entries close 14 Nov 2020. Exhibition March following.
CAMDEN ART PRIZE AUS$3K acquisitive prize | 2021 Dates TBC
CERAMIC BREAK SCULPTURE PARK PRIZE | Future 2030 Competition
CLAYTON UTZ ART AWARD AUS$21K | Entries Close 31 July 2020
DOBELL PRIZE FOR DRAWING – Drawings in either pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, pastel, watercolour and collage | Biennial | Entries Close 5 October 2021
DU RIETZ ART AWARDS | AUS$6K Gympie Regional Gallery’s national art competition | Entries Close 4pm 12 June 2020
ELAINE BERMINGHAM NATIONAL WATERCOLOUR PRIZE AUS$20K | Non Acquisitive | Queensland Entries Close 17 July
EVELYN CHAPMAN ART AWARD for Australian painter under 45 | AUS$50K Grants and Scholarship | National Entries Close 21 Sept 2020.
THE FREEDMAN FOUNDATION TRAVELLING SCHOLARSHIP FOR EMERGING ARTISTS AUS$8K | Entries Close 23 August 2020
HIDDEN: ROOKWOOD SCULPTURES | Postponed
HORNSBY ART PRIZE | AUS$10K | five different entry categories; Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, 3D works and Digital Art – Stills. |
INCINERATOR ART PRIZE AUS$4K | Award Theme ‘Art for Social Change’. Entries Close 18 May 2020
IGNITION PRIZE | AUS $1,250 plus GST for individuals | For a Graduating student from university art and design schools that are ACUADS (Australian Council of University Art & Design Schools) members.
JACARANDA ACQUISITIVE DRAWING AWARD | Entries Close 30 June 2020
JOCEYLN SMITH ANNUAL PHILOSOPHY ART PRIZE – TBA
KANGAROO VALLEY ART PRIZE AUS$6K first prize, plus other prizes. Entries Close 28 August 2020
KEITH AND ELIZABETH MURDOCH TRAVELLING FELLOWSHIP AUS$25K, Biennial and several categories.
KING VALLEY ART SHOW AND PRIZES | Entries Close 31 April
LYN MCCREA MEMORIAL DRAWING PRIZE AUS$5K | Entries Close 19 July
John & Elizabeth Newnham Pring Memorial Prize (commonly known as the Pring Prize), which may be awarded to the best watercolour by a woman artist
LUMAS Gallery and Sequana Art Grant Program AUS$4K for 6 artists | Australian Citizen or Resident | National Entries | Art must have a clear link to water, sustainability or the environment | Close 30 June 2020 | Grants provided between July – Dec 2020
MOTH ART PRIZE 2020 figurative or representational artwork. It is open to anyone (over 16) from anywhere in the world. Entries close 31 August 2020
MOSMAN ART PRIZE AUS$50K | Australia’s oldest and most prestigious local government art award. Exhibition Wednesday 26 August – Sunday 4 October 2020.
NARACOORTE NATIONAL ART PRIZE AUS$10K | 2 dimensional art work, across any medium, to make a national impact by bridging art and science | Entries Close 12 July
NEW SOUTH WALES ARTISTS’ GRANT AUS $5K
NILLUMBIK NATIONAL ART PRIZE AUS$20K | Contemporary artworks responding to the themes Space and Place | Entries Close 12 April Date To Be Confirmed
NATIONAL WORKS ON PAPER 2020 AUS$120K | Entries Close 19 July 2020
MELBOURNE PRIZE FOR URBAN SCULPTURE AUS$120K | Entries Close 27 July 2020
MEROOGAL WOMEN’S ART PRIZE 2020 | Entries Close 3 August 2020.
ORANGE SCULPTURE IN THE GARDENS AUS$2K | Entries Close 30 March – Postponed
PADDINGTON ART PRIZE AUS$30K | Entries Close 27 September 2020
PRO HART ART PRIZE AUS $20K acquisitive award | Entries Close May 29
QUEENSLAND ART AWARDS supporting artists living with adversity
QUEENSLAND FIGURATIVE PRIZE AUS $10K | Non Acquisitive | Queensland Artists for 2D works in which the human figure is integrated in the composition. Entries Close 14 August 2020
REDLAND ART PRIZE – Cancelled due to Covid 19. Entries Close 13 September 2020
RAVENSWOOD AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S ART PRIZE $35K Opening night and prize announcements Thursday 26 November 2020, 6.00pm
ROBERTS FAMILY PRIZE – Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Artist Prize AUS$10K
SCULPTURE IN THE VINEYARDS AUS$20K FIRST PRIZE | THE WOLLOMBI VALLEY SCULPTURE FESTIVAL
17th October – 1st November 2020 | Entries Close 17 July 2020
TOM MALONE ART PRIZE – Acquisitive Prize for Contemporary Australian Glass Artists – Art Gallery of Western Australia $15K
THE BLAKE PRIZE AUS$35k Non Acquisitive Prize | The Blake Emerging Artist Prize is an acquisitive prize of $6K | Works to have a recognisable exploration of faith, spirituality, religion, hope, humanity, social justice, belief and/or non-belief. Entries Close 12 October 2020
WINDMILL TRUST SCHOLARSHIP FOR REGIONAL NSW ARTISTS AUS$10K | Entries Close 19 July 2020
WOLLOMBI VALLEY SCULPTURE FESTIVAL Non-acquisitive prize awards $20K | Entries Close 19 July
WOOLLAHRA SMALL SCULPTURE PRIZE Entries Close 17 July
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN INDIGENEOUS ART AWARD
WHYALLA ART PRIZE biennial prize open to all Australian residents for wall-based artwork in any medium other than photography.
International
ART PRIZE US$200K
ART MAGAZINE ANNUAL ART COMPETITION US$2.5K | Entries Close 20 May 2020
ARTE LAGUNA PRIZE Arsenale of Venice, Italy EUR 50,000 | Entries Close 31 August 2020
AESTHETICA ART PRIZE GBP £6,000| Entries Close 31 August 2020
AMERICAN IMPRESSIONIST SOCIETY – ANNUAL NATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION
Open to residents of the United States
ACRYLICWORKS BY ARTISTS NETWORK,USD $2K | Entries Close 28 February
ARTIST GRANTS BY THE HOPPER (BI ANNUAL) PRIZE USD$5K | Any artist over the age of 18 is eligible to win The Hopper Prize. There are no restrictions on who can apply, including internationally based artist. Entries Close November 17, 11:59PM Pacific Daylight Time.
BP PORTRAIT AWARD – NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY LONDON GBP £35,000
BEAUTIFUL BIZARRE ART PRIZE Non-Acquisitive Prize | US $35K cash and prizes | Entries open 1 Feb 2021
COLEX ART PRIZE – Artists who are 18 or older, of any nationality, working in original visual media (excluding video and other time-based media), are eligible.
DOROTHY AND LILLIAN GISH PRIZE $625K
THE DERWENT AWARD, £1,000
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PASTEL ASSOCIATES COMPETITION
KYOTO PRIZE $904,450
THE LUMEN PRIZE FOR DIGITAL ART, Entries open 1 February 2021. First Prize $4K
MACARTHUS “GENIUS’ GRANT US625K paid out in equal quarterly installments over five years.
MARITIME ART AWARDS AND EXHIBITION AUS$20K | Entries Close 31 August 2020
MOTH ART PRIZE GBP £1,000 & 2 Week Retreat | Entries Close 31 August 2020 (figurative or representational paintings, drawings (including mixed media) and original prints)
NOMURA ART AWARD $1M
ROYAL WATERCOLOUR SOCIETY CONTEMPORARY WATERCOLOUR COMPETITION
SOTHEBY’S PRIZE $250K
SUNNY ART PRIZE UK GBP £3,000 | National UK and International | plus a month-long art residency in China, and a solo exhibition in London | For artists engaging with pressing contemporary issues | Entries Close 30 June 2020
THE CHRIS BEETLES GALLERY AWARD GBP £2,000 for a non-member artist (New English Art Club)
THE FRIEZE ARTIST AWARD Supported by the Luma Foundation | Entries Close January 11, 2019, at 5pm EST.
THE FUTURE GENERATION ART PRIZE | US $100K | Victor Pinchuk Foundation | 18 and 35yrs | Entries Open Feb and Close 3 June 2021
The de Laszlo Foundation Prize, GBP £1,500 | Royal Society of British Artists
The Baltic Exchange Award, GBP £2,000 | Royal Society of Marine Artists
Birdwatch and Swarovski Optik Artist of the Year Award | Society of Wildlife Artists
The Phyllis Roberts Award, GBP £2,000 | Royal Institute of Oil Painters
The Winsor & Newton Young Artist Awards, GBP £1,000, £600, and £400 worth of Fine Art Materials (Royal Institute of Oil Painters) *
WORLD ILLUSTRATION AWARDS £2,000 Entries Close February 18, 2020
CANADIAN WILDLIFE HABITAT CONSERVATION STAMP AND PRINT ART COMPETITION – Entries Close Nov 2020. For Canadian artists
Watercolour Competitions
(National and International)
The Biennial International Prize “Marche d’Acqua” Fabriano Watercolour Opening Saturday June 19th, 2021 (Video Here)
Australian Watercolour Muster 2020
ELAINE BERMINGHAM NATIONAL WATERCOLOUR PRIZE AUS$20K | Entries Close 17 July
The International Watercolor Contest “Watercolorium”
IWAF International Watercolour Art Fair
The Mediterranean Watercolor Festival
IWS Watercolor storm online contest – July 19 – August 19
International Watercolor Contest “Premio Tlaloc 2020” 7 – 11 Nov
International 2nd Alpine Watercolor Challenge 19 – 26 September 2020
1st IWS Honduras International Festival of Watercolor – 5 Jan 2021 – 8 Jan 2021
IWS Malta 1st International Watercolor Festival
Australian Watercolour Institute
The International Watercolour Exhibition Fremantle, Western Australia
International Watercolour Society Competition Entries Close 3 January 2020
Global Association of Watercolour Artists – GAWA Annual International Watercolor Online Contest
Louisiana Watercolour Society Virtual 2021 International Exhibition | Entry deadline: Jan. 26, 2021
Royal Watercolour Society Contemporary Watercolour Competition – Open for entry October TBA
San Diego Watercolour Society | 2020 November “Nox Mente” Virtual Member Exhibition (CASH ) | Exhibition Dates: Nov 1, 2020 to Nov 28, 2020 | Online Entry Deadline: October 31, 2020
San Diego Watercolour Society | Larry and Joyce Bond Award – 2021 TBA
San Diego Watercolour Society | Fourth Annual SDWS Plein Air Exhibition | US$200 | Entries Open for Members only – October 15, 2020, through November 15, 2020 (Exhibition November 22 through December 31)
UK Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours | The Winsor & Newton Award: £3,000
The International Artist magazine monthly competitions
SPLASH 22, US2K | Entries Close 30 December 2019
Youth – Art Competitions
(National and International)
BLACK SWAN PRIZE – YOUTH PRIZE
COSSACK ART AWARDS – – EMERGING YOUNG ARTIST CATEGORY
LLOYD REES MEMORIAL YOUTH ART AWARDS
THE BLAKE ART PRIZE – JOHN COBURN EMERGING ARTIST
DESIGN-A-BAG COMPETITION – STUDENT GROUP CATEGORY
INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS (IPA) – NON-PROFESSIONAL, STUDENT CATEGORIES
‘LIVE IT. SKETCH IT. SHARE IT.’ DESIGN COMPETITION
OCEAN AWARENESS STUDENT CONTEST
SAATCHI GALLERY / DEUTSCHE BANK ART PRIZE FOR SCHOOLS
THE ARTIST’S MAGAZINES ANNUAL ART COMPETITION – STUDENT/BEGINNER DIVISION
THE CURE PARKINSON’S TRUST PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION – YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS CATEGORY
THE INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S PAINTING COMPETITION
THE INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHILDREN’S DRAWING CONTEST
Photographic
(National and International)
WILLIAM AND WINIFRED BOWNESS PHOTOGRAPHIC PRIZE AUS $30K | Entries Close 30 July 2020
BOWNESS PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZE AUS$30K | Entries Close 8 July 2020
OPTIKA KINGSTON PHOTOGRAPHIC AWARD
SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2015 – YOUTH AWARD
TEEN PHOTO INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
MORAN CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHIC PRIZE – SECONDARY SCHOOL CATEGORY